The Fantasy Games
by Darksummoner98
Summary: Thirteen Sectors. Twenty-six tributes. One Victor. Let the Seventy-Fourth Annual Fantasy Games Begin.
1. Nightmares or Visions?

A/N: Ok so this is my first ever fanfic! So, please go easy on me and if you have any advice or comment please review and tell me because I really don't want to mess this up. If you have any questions about this fanfic then please review and I swear I'll answer them. This is a crossover between all the Final Fantasies and the Hunger Games, though no characters from the Hunger Games are in it, it's the same plot and all, but I added in some of my own twists because I didn't want it to be too predictable. By the way, in this one, there's thirteen Sectors/districts because there's thirteen final fantasies just in case anyone was confused :)

Enough of that! On with the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy or the Hunger Games

Chapter 1: Nightmares or visions?

Fire. It surrounded her on all sides in a massive sea of red, orange and yellow. It stole the air from her lungs and replaced it with its acidic offspring of smoke. Her lungs burned for oxygen, pure sweet oxygen, but none would come to her. She crawled along the lush green grass. Why was it green? Why wasn't it burning? Why was she the only one suffering? She glared down at the forest grass, but the plush pink flowers only seemed to smirk evilly back at her. She tried to escape the ring of fire around her, but something snagged on her ankle and brought her back down to the hell of flowers and greenery. Why did she suddenly have a loathing for nature? But more importantly why was she suddenly terrified of it? Why was she more scared of the plants than the fire?

She felt herself grow cold and begin to slowly sink downwards as the ground seemed to open its great mouth and swallow her whole. She was powerless against it. She cried out in terror but only inhaled more smoke in the process making her throat burn and her eyes water. She could feel the cold, mocking vines of grass tickle her cheeks as she took her final look at the ash laden sky. Silent tears fled rebelliously from the corners of her eyes as she closed them for the last time-

Mismatched eyes flew open almost instantly as beads of sweat ran down her smooth pale flesh, making her soft, brown hair stick to her forehead and her clothes suddenly felt wet and uncomfortable. Lungs greedily filled themselves with oxygen while the seventeen year old took deep ragged breaths. She could feel a hand gently rub her back in an attempt to calm her down. Her racing heart beat heavily in her chest as if to test the strength of her ribcage which was slowly wearing down with each thump.

"Yuna? Yuna? _Yuna?_"

Yuna raised her head at the sound of her name. Blue and green eyes met the kind and concerned ones of her teacher, Isaaru. His thick chocolate eyebrows were slanted downwards and his lips formed a thin line in an expression of concern. His colourful priest robes of Yevon were splayed across the cool temple floor as he knelt beside his dazed apprentice.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly as he placed a supporting hand on her back and helped her sit up slowly, afraid she might faint once more.

Her hands trembled uncertainly in her lap but she steadied them with great effort and managed to slowly support herself in order to sit upright. When she felt the cool surface of the smooth tiled floor under her delicate palms she suddenly became aware that she was in a heap on the floor. She looked around her as her bi-coloured eyes adjusted to the dim light of Valefor's chamber. Everything was as it usually was. The circular stone walls looked enormous from her position on the floor and the symbols decorating them seemed extremely dark against the wall. Valefor's statue of his powerful wings and strong body glowed beneath its shimmering dome as if a piece of heaven had fallen from the sky. She looked to the area above the statue expecting to see the familiar transparent girl floating above her sculpture but the pig-tailed girl was nowhere to be seen.

"What happened?" she asked hoarsely as she turned back to her teacher with a confused expression adorning her feminine features.

"I think only you know the answer to that question," Isaaru replied calmly, though his worried yet calculating expression did not waver. Yuna unconsciously shrunk back slightly under his intense stare. She hated when Isaaru didn't give her a straight answer – which he rarely did – and then to top it off he gave her his trademark stare to unnerve her further.

"I… I don't… I can't remember…" she began uncertainly as she stared down at the polished floor of the chamber, refusing to meet her teacher's eyes. "Why am I on the floor?" she asked suddenly.

"You were praying or talking or… whatever you normally do with that ghost girl and you just fainted," came a different, more boyish voice to her right. She turned slightly to see Tidus, her childhood friend and blitzball buddy, looking down at her with his trademark smirk etched across his tanned face. He wore his usual attire, his blitzball uniform which consisted of his yellow boots, navy shorts with one part coming to his mid-calf and the other to his mid-thigh along with is yellow shirt and navy dungaree style belt. Both his hands were covered, one by a metal glove that was attached to a red elbow brace and the other by a simple leather glove that ended at his wrist. His silver chain rested on his toned chest and glinted slightly in the dim lighting.

"She's not a ghost, she's a fayth," Isaaru replied indignantly. "Ghosts are those who reside on the Farplane a faith is a human who willingly trapped their souls in statues in order to bond with summoners when beckoned and form aeons. For the love of Yevon, you'd think-"

"I fainted?" she interrupted Isaaru softly in an attempt to save Tidus and herself form yet another long-winded lecture on Yevon and its past. Isaaru loved his lectures, she received three at least every day during her studies. She seemed to get more when Tidus was around, probably because he didn't have a clue about Yevon and its teachings. Yuna had tried to teach him the basics, she'd been studying and practising the teachings for ten years now, but he'd be either too tired or too interested in practising blitzball to listen.

"Yeah, you were just kneeling in front of the dome, statue thing and the gho-" Tidus cleared his throat awkwardly as he avoided Isaaru's glare, "fayth was in front of you and then next thing you're on the ground and the gho – fayth is gone," he explained using wild hand gestures to help her understand his story.

She shot Isaaru a confused look but he just mirrored her expression with a look in his eyes that she should tell him everything she knew. She sighed wearily as she focused her eyes to study her long purple skirt while she searched her memories. She remembered praying to the fayth, trying to bond and connect even more. She'd been praying to Yevon, asking for guidance, for hope and for her family to be safe. But then the fayth had said something that disturbed Yuna, she couldn't exactly remember what it was but she just knew it had been extremely out of the ordinary. Then she'd fallen into that horrible dream, but that hardly mattered at the moment. The warning the fayth had given her, that was what mattered but what was it? Why couldn't she just remember?

She shook her head resignedly at him making her long blue earring brush her cheek and her brunette locks sway slightly. Hesitantly, bi-coloured eyes rose to meet deep chocolate ones of wisdom, but the harshness and intensity had vanished, replaced by concern and weariness.

"Yuna, what happened? Are you unwell?" Isaaru asked gently as he helped the teenager get to her feet with Tidus supporting her from behind.

"I…" she began, considering whether or not to tell him about the dream she'd just had. But was it a dream? Was it a vision or just some spontaneous nightmare? Could the fayth even pass visions onto others? Yuna knew in her heart it was connected to something the fayth had told her before she'd fainted but she couldn't put her finger on it. Every time she came close to grabbing the answer in the back of her mind it floated slyly out of her grasp. "I'm fine," she answered as she began to make her way out of the chamber with Tidus hovering uncertainly at her side. "I just need more sleep, that's all," she explained lamely. "Please excuse me," she bowed politely to her teacher before turning around and walking out of the temple faster than a chocobo on wheels.

She brushed past the petals as the door slowly rose, allowing her to enter the antechamber. Her boots fell on a spongy rich carpet that was covered in all different religious symbols and laced with numerous colourful patterns. Shadows danced across the faces of the enormous stone statues that guarded the path to the chamber. The torches flared brightly and illuminated the square room, and seemed to enlarge the steps leading up to the chamber's entrance.

No sooner had she begun to descend the many steps had Isaaru placed a firm hand on her shoulder, thus halting her in her tracks. Flinching slightly under his strong grip, she reluctantly turned to face him, glad that Tidus was by her side. His presence always seemed to calm her nerves for some reason, probably because he'd always been there, the big brother ready to protect his little sister if the need arose.

Isaaru's face was a stony, strict mask, one of a wise teacher. Gulping down her fear, Yuna stood tall and kept her chin up with her hands folded neatly together in front of her. She remained eye contact with him through sheer force of willpower but as the seconds ticked on, she found her resolve crumbling under his intense gaze.

"Yes, Isaaru?" she asked hesitantly when he didn't move nor say anything for a good minute, though it felt like hours for Yuna. Though she trusted Isaaru with her life, his training could sometimes be harsh and difficult both physically and mentally. Sometimes he'd make her concentrate for hours on end. One time he made her stand still for four hours straight, balancing five books on her head, she couldn't move her neck the next day. When she was only ten, he'd made her twirl on a tightrope, staff in hand and feet bare. The rope was over the sea, tied at two ruins on opposite sides of the cliff, twenty feet above the sea. She'd been scared of her life of course but she'd managed to balance and spin at the same time for more than two hours, though the dizziness did eventually send her tumbling into the water. Isaaru had also shown her a kind side every once in a while, like being patient when she was just discovering her gifts and giving her good advice when she was frustrated and praising her when she mastered a spell or summon. Despite this, she'd grown to fear her teacher slightly though she tried to hide it.

This was one of those times when she found it very hard to hide her fear and nervousness. Isaaru's gaze didn't soften the way it usually did when she used her softest, most innocent voice. Instead it seemed to harden slightly as he slowly leaned forward so that no one else could hear his voice in the quiet temple.

"Never take the work of the fayth lightly, Yuna," he warned with a hard tone to his voice. "They never do things for no reason." With that he released his iron grip on her shoulder, gave a small and curt nod of his head and retreated back into the chamber of the fayth.

All seemed to grow deathly quiet in the temple, even the hymn of the fayth seemed to fade into a soft lull as Yuna took on a dazed expression. Isaaru's words replayed over and over in her mind as she though back on the strange dream. What if it was a vision? What if the fayth were trying to tell her something or maybe they already had, maybe the fayth had warned her about something just before she'd fainted, but what was it? Why couldn't she just remember a few simple words?

She grunted in frustration as she searched deep within her mind for the answer. She knew everything there was to know about the fayth, she'd completed her studies early, she'd practised and practised with her staff and she could nearly beat Isaaru at this stage but she couldn't remember one tiny detail? One detail that could possibly be extremely important?

"What's wrong?" Tidus' voice cut through her self-frustrating thoughts like a knife through flesh. She looked up into his sparkling blue eyes, eyes that she'd grown accustomed to over the years. It was amazing how much comfort she always found in those eyes, the eyes of her best friend. They had always done everything together even from a young age. They had played together, went to school together and fought against the other kids together. But they separated slightly when he began his blitzball training and she began her studies of Yevon at the age of seven. Of course they still met up every day after their studies and when they came into their teenage years they began to hunt together to provide for their families.

It had always been just the two of them, they were like the yin and the yang, day and night, the sun and the moon. Polar opposites. He was sunny, cheerful, outgoing, strong and always cracking jokes whereas she was shy, serious, nervous, calm and always wore a fake smile of false happiness. Nevertheless they complimented each other and they got along great. Yuna would keep Tidus out of trouble and Tidus would lighten Yuna's mood, he was the only person who could now. The only other person who could've was… gone.

"Yuna? What's wrong?" Tidus repeated as he clicked his fingers in front of her face, striking her out of yet another memory.

"Nothing, nothing's wrong," she replied easily, plastering her best fake smile on her face and praying to Yevon that her eyes shone with convincing false joy.

"Don't give me that smile Yuna, I know it's as fake as Shelinda's nose," Tidus countered as he gave her a warning look.

_Damn, he knows me so well,_ she thought as she couldn't help but smile properly to herself at his comment. Though she had to admit it was true, Lady Shelinda did have quite the nose.

"See?" He grinned widely at her when he saw the corners of her lips quirk upwards slightly. "That's a real smile, so what happened with the fayth?" he questioned, crossing his arms over his toned chest and standing to his full height, which was a good two inches taller than her. She hated it when he did that and when he smirked in a knowing fashion, it made her feel so vulnerable.

"Nothing," she answered as a small frown tried to grace her features but she kept them carefully neutral. "I just got a tiny bit drowsy from lack of sleep, that's all."

"Like I believe that," he scoffed. "I can read you like an open book."

"Then I think you need glasses because I'm just tired," she replied allowing her lips to quirk upwards only slightly, still keeping her expression neutral.

"Was it something Isaaru said then?"

"No, he was just telling me to go to bed," she lied quickly as she began to fiddle with her long, pink dip-dyed kimono sleeves. Tidus didn't look convinced by her answer and simply raised a dark eyebrow, not budging an inch. Yuna let out a weary sigh of defeat, this was going to be a long day. She couldn't stop thinking about that vision she had, of the fire, the grass, the flowers and the earth swallowing her whole. She shivered at the thought, but what did it mean? Were the fayth trying to tell her she would die in a cave-in or something?

"Is it…" Tidus began again but trailed off as an uncharacteristic look crossed his features. "Is it… about today?" he finished hesitantly, his voice soft and delicate like thin silk.

She gave him a slightly confused look and was about to ask him what was on today but realisation dawned on her when she saw that rare spark of fear and anxiety flicker in his eyes. He only ever got that look on the day of…

"The reaping? Did you forget?" he asked her with a raised eyebrow.

The reaping… How could she have forgotten? The reaping for the tributes that would represent Sector Ten in the seventy-fourth annual Fantasy Games… The Games took place once a year in the game field located in Sector Seven, or more commonly known as the Capitol. Two tributes, one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve to eighteen would be selected from each Sector to compete in the brutal games. There were thirteen Sectors so twenty-six tributes would enter the field, but only one would make it out alive, only one could be crowned the Victor.

Sector Seven nearly always won, they had the best resources, the best fighters and most of the children had rich parents who could sponsor them in order to help them survive. Some people trained their whole lives in preparation for the Games. Those who weren't chosen as tribute either volunteered, which Yuna thought was crazy, who would be mad enough to voluntarily go into the Games and stake their lives? If they didn't volunteer then they more than likely went on to be part of SOLDIER. SOLDIERs were the guards who kept the other Sectors in line. They all had this unnerving aqua-marine glow to their eyes and were faster, stronger and deadlier than the average person. You could only join SOLDIER once you were eighteen, but there were rumours that exceptional teenagers could join at a younger age. But even if you were a part of SOLDIER you could still be reaped for the Games.

Yuna had only ever heard of two Victors from Sector Ten. One won the games more than twenty years ago but another won the games a few years back, maybe three or four years ago. There had been a lot of rumours about her. Yuna had heard that she was the offspring of the devil and that she could grow wings of steel blades that could slice through rock, she didn't know if they were true or not though.

She felt sorry for whoever was reaped for the Games this year, since Sector Ten had won not too long ago, it would be very unlikely for them to win again so soon. She always lived in the fear that her name would be called out, that she would have to enter the Games and fight to the death. But her name was never called out and now she just had to endure two more reapings until she was safe but…

"Yuna, don't worry, they aren't going to pick you," Tidus reassured her, uncrossing his arms and putting his thick gloved hands on each of her bare shoulders. He leant down to her level and looked her straight in the eye, his own full of their natural confidence, but Yuna could still see that tiny flicker of doubt at the back of them, if she looked hard enough.

"It's not me that I'm worried about," she whispered softly.

"Aw, Yuna I'm flattered," he grinned mischievously at her. "But I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself and you know what? I-"

"Quit it," she ordered playfully, shoving him away from her slightly and beginning to walk back to her hut, with Tidus by her side, still grinning like a cheshire cat. "I was talking about Rikku."

Rikku… Rikku was Yuna's cousin, but Yuna never thought of her as a 'cousin' but more of a 'sister'. Though Rikku was fifteen, Yuna still worried. Every time you weren't chosen for the reaping, an extra copy of your name was added into that dreaded bowl of destiny. She knew that there were tonnes of other girls more likely to get chosen instead of Rikku but still… She couldn't help but worry. Rikku had no sense of direction and had no clue how to hunt, set traps, find fresh water, or to determine which plants were poisonous or not. Though Rikku was sly and sneaky and not to mention the skills of her sticky fingers, she knew no magic and couldn't lift a sword. She didn't have good aim and couldn't throw a knife properly to save her life. She had a good knack for daggers and kitchen knives but if she brought that up against a broad sword in the arena, she wouldn't stand a chance.

"They won't choose her, Yuna, there are plenty of other girls they could choose," Tidus reassured her as they reached Yuna's hut. "There are hundreds of pieces of paper in that bowl and out of all of them Rikku has four. She won't be picked, don't worry."

Yuna gave him her best false smile, as she opened the flat to her small hut. It wasn't much, just a one room, with a bed, a chest of drawers, a stove and some other things. Her staff sat, perched against the wall in the corner. Its golden head caught the sun's rays and seemed to illuminate the hut with a sacred glow. It had been her parents' hut and they'd left it to her in their will.

"Thanks, Ti, that really helps," she said. She watched him start to walk back to his own hut before she called after him to get his attention. He swivelled back and raised an eyebrow in question. She cleared her throat and stood upright, chest out, bottom up and chin high while putting on her most posh voice. "And may the odds…"

Tidus cracked a grin before continuing her sentence in his own fake posh voice; "be ever…"

Their grins widened and they chorused together; "_in our favour!_"


	2. The Reaping

Ok… So here's the second chapter, I'm really sorry it took so long to anyone who is reading this, I've had exams and all and I'm going to try to update again soon, the key word there being **try**. I'm going on holidays and won't be able to take my laptop with me but, fear not after that I've got two and a half long months of summer, so I'll have plenty of time then.

One more thing, to anyone who's reading this, I've been wondering, there isn't anyone in the story who really has the part of Gale in the Hunger Games and I'm kind of thinking that a love triangle might be a good idea in this story. So please can you review and **tell me if you'd like to see a love triangle in this story?**

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy or the Hunger Games

Chapter 2: The Reaping

Neat, orderly lines of sorrowful and fearful looking teenagers faced the grand stage in the centre of Sector Ten. The sky was a gorgeous blue, the sun was shining and birds went about their merry business, it seemed all of nature was oblivious to the cloud of depression hanging over the teens of Sector Ten. No one dared to utter a word as each of them shuffled closer to the person next to them so as not to stand out. They all wore their best and brightest clothes as heavily armoured SOLDIERs strolled around the teenagers, armed and ready to dispose of any rebellious trouble makers. Parents and children stood outside the invisible perimeter, watching with anxiety and terror and praying to Yevon that their child wouldn't be picked at the dreaded reaping.

The soft breeze rustled through Yuna's short brown hair, making her brush her side fringe back once again and sending involuntary shivers down her spine. The piece of white fabric wrapped around her neck and crossing over her breasts exposed her shoulders and top back to the cool tropical breeze. Her bright yellow obi kept the material from shifting, as the green flowery patterns seemed to form a circle around her thin waist. Wrapping her arms around herself for warmth, she surveyed the crowd, spotting both Tidus and Rikku standing stiffly with their own age groups. Neither looked happy, Tidus wore an emotionless mask that mirrored her own. She knew he was hiding his fear, everyone knew, but at least they both had the guts to do so. People such as Rikku made no attempt to hide their fear and let it clearly flourish their features. She had the sudden to rush to her cousin and reassure her that everything would be alright, but she couldn't, not unless she wanted to be punished by the SOLDIERs for 'rebellious behaviour' as they called it.

Of course, she'd been punished by the SOLDIERs before for stepping over the boundary lines of Sector Ten, or being caught hunting with Tidus. One time she'd been whipped for standing up for a group of children who had been caught stealing apples from the weekly market. The SOLDIERs wouldn't dare put her in the Via Purifico for a night or punish her too severely because she was known and respected in the temple. The Yevonites had a great influence over the people and since she had a great grip on her talents in the art of summoning, the priests admired her as they once admired her father.

Though she had to admit, the SOLDIERs here weren't as strict as SOLDIERs that she'd heard of in Sector Thirteen. They allowed certain things, such as not banning the Yevon religion or turning a blind eye when some of the locals wandered around at night. The captain was laid back enough and only did the bare-minimum in order to keep his job but he could still be quite strict at times.

Yuna grew impatient as her nimble fingers began to tug at her long purple skirt. The soft material was slightly soothing under her fingertips but the long slit up the side allowed the breeze to tickle her leg. Goosebumps appeared on her bare shoulders but she kept herself upright as her tight obi made it hard to breathe if she slouched. Isaaru made her wear the profane, lung-squeezing device to training; he always said it forced her to have good posture and balance. Her long kimono sleeves swayed softly in the breeze as her eyes were drawn to the two large glass bowls full of slips of paper. Her name was in there… on five different slips of paper. What were the chances they'd pick her? Or for that matter, what were the chances that they'd pick Rikku? Everyone would be devastated if Rikku was chosen, especially Gippal, Rikku's boyfriend. They'd been going out for two years now and Yuna fully approved of them even though her uncle, Cid, didn't. They were perfect for one another; both were funny, energetic, attractive, popular and sporty. Rikku had tonnes of friends, both boys and girls and she could put the best of models to shame. Her blonde hair always seemed to glitter in the sunlight and her green eyes were like captivating tunnels of forestry with their swirled pupils. Her cream skin was like silk and even for a young girl of fifteen she had more curves than a fully grown woman. Yuna had always wanted to be like Rikku, young, attractive, care-free and fun but her studies and her talents prevented her from doing so.

She felt the tension in the sir suddenly thicken dramatically as a young woman, clad in expensive robes of Yevon toddled up onto the centre of the makeshift stage. She was young, with chocolate eyes and ginger locks, plump rosy cheeks and a creamy complexion. Though her nose seemed a slight bit unnatural and big she was still pretty but the mountains of make-up that donned her face tainted her natural beauty. The heavy colourful robes hid her figure but everyone knew that because she spent most of her time in the Capitol, she was well-overweight. A lot of people from the Capitol were; they didn't have to hunt for their dinner (partially because it was illegal but Yuna and Tidus decided to ignore that fact) and they had so much money that they could afford whatever food they wanted. Yuna had even heard rumours that people actually threw out food they didn't eat, though she didn't believe them, no one in their right mind would throw out good food, well unless they wanted to die from starvation.

Her train of thoughts was cut off as every head turned towards Shelinda, who now stood in front of a silver microphone as her sugar-coated voice tested the volume of the infuriating contraption. She tapped it twice with a chubby finger as her pampered nails seemed to shine in the sunlight. Yuna could feel herself inwardly cringe as Shelinda flashed a massive fake sweet smile at them all, her eyes glittering with cruel excitement.

"Welcome, welcome," she greeted them, her smile never faltering. "It is time to announce this year's tributes for Sector Ten to represent us all in the seventy-fourth annual Fantasy Games." Shelinda's smile widened even further, if that was possible, as she seemed to make eye contact with each weary teenager. Most shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, some dropped their eyes, some glared but no one dared to smile back, Yuna didn't think anyone wanted to.

She willed her feet to remain unmoving and her expression neutral as Shelinda's eyes met her own bi-coloured ones. She folded her hands together in front of her to stop them from trembling with well hidden rage. She hated the Fantasy Games not only because young lives were lost to entertain an audience, but they'd taken away all of her family, save her cousins and uncle. They'd taken her sister, her parents, her loved ones and she was powerless against it. Isaaru had said that she needed to control her emotions if she ever wanted to master her talents but that meant burying her hatred, her rage and her anger deep within her and safely lock it away in her heart. She'd tried and tried, she'd been drained mentally from trying and in the end she'd succeeded in keeping them down, but every year, she felt the prison walls of her heart strain as tears of fury burned the back of her eyes on this one day. She was certain one day that her heart wouldn't be able to take the pressure anymore and she'd do something she'd really regret. Today might well be that day.

"Ladies first, as always," Shelinda announced in her sing-song voice as she trotted towards the huge glass bowl in front of the lines of girls. The tension in the air was almost suffocating her at this stage as Yuna watched helplessly, praying to the fayth it wouldn't be anyone she knew.

Shelinda let the tension grow as she wiggled her chubby fingers above the opening of the bowl with eagerness, studying the slips of paper like a predator hunting its innocent prey. Yuna squeezed her eyes shut, her lips forming the hymn of the fayth in a silent song of desperate prayer. She heard the sound of papers rubbing off one another, it seemed so loud and noisy in the deathly silent courtyard. It ceased suddenly and she managed to crack open her green eye in anxiety only to see the chubby woman toddle back to the microphone and rip the slip open.

Pink, plush lips formed an even bigger smile as Shelinda's eyes snapped up towards the numerous rows of fearful girls. Yuna felt her heart stop and her breath catch in her throat as the words she feared most came out of the hostess' mouth.

"Rikku Cihcdyn."

Time seemed to slow down as every boy and girl turned towards the named tribute. The girls stepped away from her as if she were infected with a contagious disease, leaving the terrified teenager no place to hide. Green eyes wide, petite mouth slightly open in shock and horror, Rikku's feet seemed to move of their own accord as she stumbled towards her awaiting escorts, the SOLDIERs. Shelinda's beckoning voice faded to the back of Yuna's mind as she watched the look of death cross over her younger cousin's normally cheerful face.

Yuna found herself shoving past the other gaping and slightly relieved looking girls in her category to the centre of the aisle. No one seemed to notice her rebellious act until she called out her cousin's name as she ran forward but two SOLDIERs intercepted her and blocked her path. She could see Rikku spin around in shock, tears spilled down the teenager's face and her eyes were filled with terror as she watched the guards shove her cousin back.

"Yunie!" she croaked as she reached out an arm to her cousin, but her hand only found thin air, as her escorts pushed her towards the stage, to the awaiting colourfully robed woman.

"No! Rikku!" Yuna looked towards the stage, only to see Shelinda's eyes glitter with excitement at the unfolding drama. She felt absolutely helpless as she watched the escorts literally drag Rikku towards the stage, she couldn't do anything to stop them as the SOLDIERs holding her back made her efforts to get to her cousin futile. Why bother when she couldn't even get four feet in front of her? Why bother to try stop the inevitable? Why not just give up on false hope, why not quit and escape punishment?

_Because your cousin is the helpless one here, you are not! You are stronger Yuna!_ A feminine voice shouted in her mind as her struggles began to cease and she felt herself being dragged backwards.

_I can't…_ her head hung in shame as she feebly fought back against the strong voice, feeling utterly hopeless and useless. Despair's black tendrils began to creep their way slowly into her heart as she felt her eyes shut to close off unwanted tears. The SOLDIERs began to drag her away more easily and Rikku grew farther away.

_Enough Yuna!_ _You cannot abandon your family!_ Pure white crystals sprang into existence behind her eyelids as a beautiful woman's pale blue face flashed into her mind. She could feel the coldness fight back against the vines of utter sorrow and replace the dreaded emotion with that of one she'd never experienced so strongly before.

Rage.

It boiled within her as the walls of her heart stretched to their limits, the familiar icy power growing within her along with others, wakening after their long slumber. Wings creating torrents of wind, claws blazing with fire, a unicorn's horn branded with lightning, a dragon's coal eyes flashing with flare, a samurai sword and faithful companion, a chained martyr of death and finally three blooming colourful flowers, all fighting alongside the iciness in her heart. She would _not_ let another family member die in those Games; she vowed to herself that she wouldn't as she glared up at the plump follower of Yevon who was lapping up the drama as a dog would lap up water after being deprived of it for days. If the awful woman wanted drama Yuna would give it to her.

"_I volunteer!"_ she screamed as she pushed back the SOLDIERs with strength she didn't know she even possessed. They didn't stumble or trip, just backed off hesitantly, looking towards Shelinda for confirmation. Yuna's fingers itched for her staff, feeling the familiar rush of blood through her veins as she felt the call of the aeons within her soul. She wondered what it would be like to simply lose control for one minute, to see what she could really do to those who terrorized her Sector, her home, her people. She wondered if others would join her or simply cower in fear and watch the act of rebellion take place. What would Isaaru think? He'd probably tell her to control her emotions and that violence was not the answer, but she knew that his motto would not help her in the slightest for the journey ahead of her.

She tilted her chin up ever so slightly and straightened her back, as her posture shifted into one of balance and composure that would make Isaaru cry with proudness. "I volunteer as tribute," she repeated clearly and loudly as she strode up to Rikku who was fighting back the SOLDIERs meekly with a look of pure horror gracing her pretty feminine features. They released the distressed teen as they looked uncertainly at one another, allowing Rikku to run straight into her cousin's warm and comforting embrace.

"Yunie, don't do this," Rikku sobbed into her cousin's chest. "Please, don't… don't do…" Broken sobs cut off her pleas as they escaped desperately, making her slim form tremble and shake uncontrollably in Yuna's arms.

Yuna remembered Rikku trying to comfort her when she'd lost her other half, her twin. She'd sat there with her cousin, stroking her soft chocolate hair and whispering comforting words into her ear as the distraught twin cried until no more tears would come. She remembered her twin's body, wrapped in the finest silk that the seamstress in Besaid could find, floating in the sea, surrounded by soft lilac rose petals as the waves gently rocked the makeshift coffin. Staff in hand, Yuna had slowly walked into the sea, the soft pads of her feet causing ripples to gather on the calm sea's surface. Coldness had washed over her, not from the water but her emotions had just suddenly balanced, she felt at peace as the fayth called her to perform her last duty to her sister. She'd twirled and twirled as she cast one last mournful look at her sister's body, now sinking into the serenity of the ocean's hold. The colourful pyre flies, burst beneath the surface as the water rose into a fountain, synchronising with Yuna's constant twirling of the Sending. She'd allowed one final tear to shed in her sister's honour as the songstress' soul fled to the Farplane to join her lover once more.

Yuna could've sworn she lost half of her soul that day, she could've sworn she'd heard Lenne's voice one final time as the pyre flies faded to nothing. She knew her twin's voice from anywhere and she was positive that Lenne had apologised before she'd faded for good. Yuna had wanted to remain angry at her twin for simply abandoning her, for leaving her when they promised they'd always stay together, but she just couldn't.

After that, she'd learned to control her sorrows, she'd learned to put on a fake smile that would fool anyone who didn't know her too well, she even learned to laugh out loud when she was sad. She'd learned to hold back tears and to keep her face neutral and her tone of voice polite. Even when she heard villagers gossiping about the unholy sin her sister had committed she'd send them a polite warning glance and they'd talk no more. Even though her twin had only departed two years ago, she felt as though it had been a lifetime ago. The memory of that day was burned in her mind like a fiery brand on her brain. She'd never forget the look of pure peace that had adorned her twin's lifeless face when Yuna had first found her. She felt that kind of peace now, as she held her cousin and kept her emotions down, only allowing a small bit of sorrow to seep through, she felt that peace that her twin had felt because she knew deep down that she'd more than likely be joining her twin within the next few weeks.

"Rikku… what's done is done," Yuna sighed, feeling tears spring at the corners of her own eyes at the thoughts of never seeing her cousin again. Her cousin who had become the sister she'd lost, the cousin who had comforted her and made her properly laugh when dwelling in her darkest sorrows. She didn't want to let go but she knew she had to, she had to do this for her cousin, she couldn't let her go into the Games. "You need to get out of here; you need to go home right now, okay? I promise everything will be fine in the end, but you need to stay strong for our family and let me go."

"No… I can't… I won't… _I won't let you!_" the blonde yelled in her fit of sorrow, tightening her grip on her cousin. Yuna could see the SOLDIERs begin to close in to separate the two girls, but some brave teenager from the boys wrapped his arms around Rikku and pulled her away before she could be punished. Rikku started to kick and scream her cousin's name as thick tears trailed down her cheeks. Gippal, who had been the brave teenager, groaned slightly as she elbowed him hard and nodded at Yuna with gratitude giving her a rueful smile that sent her hundreds of different messages, but all with the same hidden meaning. _Please break the cycle…_

The cycle… That's what all Yuna's friends and family called it. Every year someone close to Yuna or her family would enter the Games or die because of the Games. Her parents, her sister, her cousins, her auntie, and her friends… All had either entered the Games and never returned or died at home because of their loss or stupid actions committed as a result of their sorrow. The Spiral of Death, another name they had used for it. Death spiralled downwards through the generations as a result of the Games. No one close to her ever survived them and now… she had saved Rikku from it for another year… but sealed her own fate.

Yuna bowed once to Gippal in a sign of respect and a silent sign to answer his plea. She rose stiffly, watching with sad eyes as her cousin screamed and shouted her name over and over again, giving off futile attempts to reach her doomed cousin. Yuna gave her a brave yet sad smile before turning her back on her sobbing family member and making her way towards the fat Yevonite.

"I promise, Rikku, I'll win for you, I'll break the cycle," Yuna turned back slightly and called after her cousin, her voice beginning to crack as the SOLDIERs hesitantly escorted her to the stage. "Yevon will guide me," she whispered to herself as a lone tear trailed down her soft cheek, but slender feminine fingers were quick to wipe it away before Shelinda had the pleasure of seeing it.

"Well, this is a dramatic turn of events," Shelinda announced cheerfully as she flashed yet another sickening smile at the crowd. "Please, everyone, give Sector Ten's _very_ first volunteer a round of applause!" She clapped her pampered hands daintily but no one followed suit. Everyone instead bowed their heads, took one step back and cupping both their hands in a circle at their mid-section they bowed to her.

Yuna looked over all the teenagers she'd grown up with in her community one final time, picking out Lucil and Elma, two girls who had stood up for her when she was being bullied and Tidus was at home with the flu. She spotted Donna, a snooty arrogant teenager who lost her love and Yuna's friend Barthello to the games only last year. Yuna had voluntarily taught Donna how to perform a sending, so she could say her last goodbyes to her lover when his body returned home. She spotted Luzzu and Gatta standing in the crowd of anxious parents, they'd tried to teach her how to use a sword but failed miserably, so they'd simply messed around for the training session cracking jokes and mocking one another, carefree for just one hour in her day. Clasko, the only boy in the village who could communicate with chocobos, he'd taught Yuna how to ride one when she was little and she'd help him cure sick chocobos or injured ones every once in a while. Finally her eyes rested on Tidus, her childhood friend and partner-in-crime. They'd been inseparable; he was almost like her spare twin. Everyone used to tease them and say they'd end up getting married someday. When they were young they'd both adorned disgusted expressions about the topic, but in the teenage years, Yuna would go all red and become flustered whereas Tidus, ever her knight in shining armour, would simply laugh the teasers off, wrapping a playful arm around her shoulder and whisper in her ear to just ignore them. She'd probably never know if they'd get married later on. She'd try to return to him and to her family, no… she_ would_ return to them, no matter what…

Steeling herself and forcing the tears to the back of her eyes, she returned the sign of Yevon as she kept her face neutral and void of any emotion. She knew that she would return, she could feel it in her heart. She wouldn't be alone in that arena, the fayth would be in her, bound to her soul, Yevon would guide her and she's learned advanced forms of white magic. If she played her cards right, if she listened to her mentors, if she trusted the fayth, she really would stand a chance.

"What's your name sweetheart?" Shelinda asked eagerly into the microphone, breaking Yuna from her determined thoughts and bringing her back to the present.

"Yuna," she responded politely but adding a slight deadpanned tone to her voice, she wouldn't let Shelinda get anymore happy than she already was.

"And what age are you, Yuna?" Shelinda asked brightly, but with a warning look in her eyes to act happier. Tough, Yuna didn't feel like practising her fake smile today.

"Seventeen."

"I bet that was your sister, wasn't it?" Shelinda tried again, her smile faltering ever so slightly.

Yuna's eyes met Rikku's red puffy ones across the courtyard. Gippal had his arms around her waist, as he whispered soothing words in her ear. It was clear Rikku wasn't registering them, her attention was centred on her cousin, the one who risked her own life to save hers, the one who signed her own name on Rikku's death certificate, the one who sacrificed herself for her own cousin. Yuna could see millions of emotions swirling around those forest green eyes which she would probably never see again, but the one that stood out was despair. Utter and pure despair.

"Yes…" Yuna found herself saying as she sent Rikku a message through her mismatched eyes, knowing her cousin would understand why she was doing this and not to feel guilty. "She is my sister," she raised her voice slightly so that Rikku could hear, but it only caused the girl to bury her head into her boyfriend's chest and sob even heavier as she drenched his shirt with salty tears.

Shelinda looked between the two, loving every second of the sad and desperate scene until she cleared her throat and drew the crowd's attention back to her. "Right! And now for the boys!"

_Yuna… You will return… We'll help you…_ a soft voice whispered in her mind. She knew that voice all too well, the same voice she'd only been talking to this morning…

_Trust us, Yuna… your journey shall not end in these Games…_ another, more childish voice rang through her mind. It sounded like a little boy's voice, one that had not yet broken and never will. A short tanned-skinned boy clad in ragged shorts with a purple, sleeveless waist coat came to mind. A hood covered his head and shielded half of his face.

_We always have a plan for those who can call upon us Yuna, we are determined to carry out these plans out, no matter what the cost_, another feminine voice leaked into her mind. One that bore regret, sorrow, yet one that hinted resolve to right the wrongs of the past. Jet black hair, cold eyes, a beautiful pale face and rich robes of a queen flashed before her closed eyelids.

Eyelashes flicked upwards as two different coloured eyes opened in shock yet relief. Why can I suddenly hear all of you again? Yuna mentally asked as she blanked out the horrible sound of paper slips rubbing together to her right.

_You could always here us, it just wasn't really necessary for you to hear us until now_, a gruff masculine voice echoed through her skull.

_It's necessary now because of the games?_ Yuna questioned hesitantly, her eyes zipping through the air to see if there was any trace of the aeons or pyre flies or anything of the like. None came into her vision allowing her a small sigh of relief.

_Correct, Yuna,_ a calm male voice sounded, _and we will be communicating more and more frequently with you as the need arises._

_Just remember, only summon us when absolutely necessary,_ a strict female voice rang through her head as the female's two sisters echoed the eldest one's advice.

_You'll be the underdog in these Games, use that to your advantage, _the man's voice was accompanied with cheerful yapping from an overly-eager dog.

_We'll be in touch soon Yuna and remember, you are never alone_, a cold, icy yet surprisingly soft and understanding voice entered her mind before each and every one of them exited into the depths of her soul.

Yuna suddenly became aware of reality as her eyes adjusted to the miserable scene before her. Not one boy in the crowd was trying to conceal their fear at this stage. Shelinda was purposefully taking her sweet painful time picking out a slip of paper from the bowl. She was surprised Shelinda's chubby arms could even reach into the bowl that far.

She supressed a weary sigh from escaping from her pale, pink lips. She lowered her head and closed her eyes once more, wishing she would now wake up from this horrible nightmare. She'd wake up in her own bed, she'd go to the temple and train with Isaaru then her and Tidus would go hunting for food, some to eat, some to sell. She'd bring home the dead animals to her uncle, she and Rikku would cook together and chat about their day, sharing the odd joke as Cid and Brother set the table-

"Tidus Valors!"

Bi-coloured shot upwards in shock as all heads turned towards a tanned boy with sun-kissed blonde hair. Ocean blue eyes grew wide with horror and perfect soft lips parted in surprise as the crowd shied away from the chosen tribute. Yuna could feel her heart going ninety as the dazed young teenager shuffled uncertainly towards the stage. The young teen ascended the steps of the stage unsteadily as Shelinda cheerfully took his arm and hastened his pace. He didn't lift his head or look up at her to confirm her worst nightmares, he kept his gaze on the ground and for once in Yuna's life she didn't want to see those ocean blue eyes.

"Please welcome our two tributes! Tidus and Yuna!" she proclaimed enthusiastically, holding an upper arm of each tribute in her big hands. "Now! Come! Come! Shake hands you two!" she pulled slightly on the two arms as the weary souls faced one another.

Clear blue eyes finally clashed with blue and green. So many times she'd turned to those eyes for comfort, for joy, for support, now they were empty and sorrowful. His usual cocky grin was washed from his face, leaving his perfect tanned lips in a thin tired line. His blonde hair seemed to droop in the despairing atmosphere and Yuna knew exactly what he was thinking. Two of them would leave this town, their home as two beacons of hope for the people of Sector Ten but only one of them could return.

All her hopes of coming back to him were dashed in less than a few seconds. She could never be with him anymore, not even as best friends. Would they remain best friends in the arena? Would they work together as they always had? The sun and moon, day and night, light and dark, polar opposites yet perfect teammates, but what would happen if they both made it to the end? What would they do? What would she be willing to do?

She shook the thoughts from her head as a shaky tanned hand slowly rose to meet her one pale one. She felt tears prick the corners of her eyes as she watched her best friend's forlorn expression, the happiness and energy was long gone from his attractive features, making her want to crawl into a hole and die from depression. She never thought either of their lives would turn out like this; that one of them, if not two would die in a battle hungry arena, entertaining a bunch of posh, cruel snobs. The question rose again in her mind as she felt the familiar electric current roll up her amr every time their skin made contact. Only one of them could live, so what would they do should they be the final tributes? Would he end his life? Would she? _Could_ she even do it? Would they give the audience the drama they thirsted for and commence a battle between best friends? Or would their friendship be left behind in the happy memories they shared in their Sector?

They're joint hands became loose and fell to their sides, limp and lifeless as one of them would be in a few weeks. Tidus lowered his gaze as a crystal tear fell down his own bronzed cheek and splashed to the ground, separating into tiny liquid diamonds of salty sorrow. A guard nudged her shoulder slightly, beckoning her in the direction of the temple and she complied, too weary to do anything else. Leaving the sorrowful teens behind her, she and Tidus walked side-by-side towards the sacred place where she once found sanctuary, where she once trained in her special arts, where she found comfort in the fayth and where she would now see her family one last time before leaving for the Capitol.

The last thing Yuna heard before entering her second home was Shelinda's disgustingly jolly voice as she announced the end of the reaping, and declaring her trademark catchphrase that sent chills down everyone's spine, the phrase Yuna and Tidus had joked about that very morning.

"Happy Fantasy Games and may the odds be ever in your favour!"

Whaddya think? Like it? Love it? Hate it? Despise it? Please review!


	3. Goodbyes and Greetings

A/N: Ok so at long last here's the next chapter. I sincerely apologise as I had a stubborn case of writer's block when I got back home so I'm sorry if the dialogue is kind of dodgy or rushed. To those who are reading this, I hope you'll continue to enjoy it and I promise I'll have the next chapter up soon. Also thanks to the guest who keeps reviewing. I love you! And I hope you're enjoying FFX. I'll lend you FFX-2 as soon as you're finished!

Anyways, Ta-da! Here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Final Fantasies or the Hunger Games.

Chapter 3: Goodbyes and Greetings

"_What have you done!?"_

Maintaining Isaaru's cold furious glare was an accomplishment no one had ever achieved in their lives. His deep brown eyes, turned an almost coal black with the strength of the gaze and gave off the impression that they could penetrate your soul in an instant. Those who were too proud would cringe and avert their eyes, others who weren't so proud just stubbornly brave would flinch back and find great interest in the floor yet still stand their ground, those who were sane and sensible would run away with either tears of fright in their eyes or flee with suspiciously wet trousers.

Yuna however did none of these things, an accomplishment never achieved by anyone.

It's a pity she probably wouldn't return to tell the tale.

She stood her ground and glared straight back, feeling the rage of torn emotions in her soul tug at her patience and cast her usual sense to the wind carelessly. If Isaaru was surprised by this action, he kept up an excellent hard mask over his features.

"I just saved my cousin!" she answered indignantly, placing her hands on her hips and forgetting about the calm exterior she was supposed to have about her.

"And sealed your own fate!" Isaaru snapped back at her, his own usual calm voice becoming louder with each syllable spoken.

"She wouldn't stand a chance out there! I-"

"And you honestly think you will?" he hissed at her.

"I stand more of a chance than she ever would and more than half of the girls in Sector Ten!" she argued back.

"What about the girls from the other sectors?" he countered viciously.

"I – I don't… know yet, I haven't seen them," she responded lamely. She hadn't even thought about that until now. If she wanted to survive these games she'd have to fight others along with any fiends that might be unleashed into the arena. She wasn't scared of a few fiends; she could manage herself but she'd only ever faced fiends found in Sector Ten. How would she fare against foreign ones?

"Not to mention the boys from the other Sectors and as well as fighting fiends, feeding yourself, finding shelter-"

"I promised Rikku that I'd break the spiral of death and I plan on keeping that promise, no matter what," she said to him firmly, finding her resolve once more.

"Oh for Yevon's sake, think logically Yuna! You haven't even completed your training, you have barely touched offensive magic, you-"

"I have my aeons and my white magic, I can learn black magic and I can train in the few weeks before the games," she interrupted him uncharacteristically. Her gaze softened softly as Isaaru's words really began to make sense in her head.

Who was she kidding? Sure she was a skilled white mage and did have a great bond with her aeons but she'd need a staff to summon them and she'd need lots of energy to perform some of her stronger spells. Having the strong bond with her aeons had its perks of course, it made it much easier to control darker aeons like Anima, but it also came with its disadvantages. If one of her aeons died in battle, the excruciating pain that would tear through the fabric of her soul would more than likely send her into unconsciousness, that wouldn't do her much good if she couldn't defend herself from her opponent and she doubted that they'd show much mercy if the situation occurred.

As for physical fighting, she'd never stand a chance, she couldn't even lift a sword never mind actually swing it at someone. If someone were to come at her with the long silver demon, she'd be helpless. Perhaps she could learn to use throwing knives as a means to protect herself or copy her cousin and use daggers. She'd need a physical weapon rather than just her magic, something light and easy to carry, perhaps a bow and arrow or guns…

"Your morals will prevent you from winning," Isaaru suddenly spoke, the softness to his tone surprising Yuna and making her mismatched eyes widen slightly.

"I know…" Yuna replied lowering her own voice so that it was barely above a whisper. "I know that I won't be able to kill another being, that I'd never be able to live with myself if I did so, but… I'm going to have to, aren't I? That's the whole point of the games, isn't it? To turn teenagers into cold-blood killers for the sake of entertaining an audience. It makes me sick just to think about but… it also terrifies me to the core. It hasn't really hit me that I'm probably never going to be in this Temple again after this, I'll probably never swim in the ocean again, I won't ever get married or grow up to be a famous summoner, I won't ever get to achieve any of my dreams…"

Crystal clear tears began to shimmer on her thick lashes as her voice cracked. A vain attempt to banish them to the back of her eyes by blinking only made them trickle down her cheeks as the realisation suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks.

She was Sector Ten's female tribute. She was going to the Capitol. She was going to enter the Games.

And she was more than likely going to die there.

Colourful robes of Yevon obscured her vision as two thickly cloaked arms surrounded her in an almost fatherly embrace. Isaaru gently stroked her back as she let harsh sobs rack through her body, making her shoulders shake violently and her eyes sting from the saltiness of the tears. She buried her face in Isaaru's robes, taking in his scent, committing it to memory for she'd probably never see him again after this. He was her teacher, her advisor, her protector. This was the man who taught her everything she knew and though he was extremely strict and brutal at times, he had become her new father, since she had lost her own so long ago.

Except this time, a daughter wasn't going to lose her father, a teacher would lose his pupil.

"Yuna… I'm sorry…" Isaaru spoke softly to her as he gently patted her back, not caring that the chest area of his robes was now damp with tears. "You… you do have the ability to win these Games, but it will be difficult. Just… remember your training and listen to your mentors and train hard for the next few weeks. I know you can win, I have every faith in you."

Yuna looked up in surprise at her teacher's tired and weary face. Even though he was quite young, he looked as if he'd aged twenty years in the last few seconds. His lips were tugged down at the corners and worry lines began to gather on his brow, giving off the impression of wrinkles. His normally intelligent and alert eyes seemed faded and empty and glistening with unshed tears of loss.

"There's twenty-six of us going into that arena, Isaaru," she said, her voice wavering slightly. "Only one of us is going to come out alive. What are the odds that it will be me?"

"About one in every fifty people in Sector Ten have the talent for summoning," he replied calmly, looking down into her own eyes, his beginning to gather back their usual spark of determination and intelligence. "Those chances are even slimmer, yet here you are and the odds of earning my respect are even slimmer, yet even you have achieved even that."

He gave her a weak yet proud smile as he spoke the words she wanted to hear for so long. For years she had tried to make him proud, tried to be the best she could be just so he would treat her as an equal, tried to make him pleased by her training and tried to be as good as him in the art of summoning. After all those years of working her hardest until she was both mentally and physically drained, she'd finally earned the one thing so many others had fought for.

She threw her arms around him and squeezed as hard as her small muscles would allow, burying her face in his chest as she felt numerous emotions tug at her heart. Sadness, pride, relief, regret; all swirled in vicious vortex inside of her, threatening to rip apart the fabrics of her very being and she was powerless against it.

"I'm going to miss you so much, Isaaru," she wept as fresh tears began to spill from her eyes.

"I shall miss you too Yuna, you are the best pupil that I've ever had," he comforted her but Yuna could've sworn she heard his own voice begin to waver and crack. "You – you've always been more than a pupil though, almost like my very own daughter and I regret not telling you this until now."

Yuna broke away slightly and looked up at his pained expression once more. Her hand unconsciously rose and wiped the lone tear that had trailed down his cheek, the tear that was meant especially for her. "Isaaru, I-"

The door to the side chamber of the Temple burst open as a SOLDIER strode in purposefully. "Time's up, time to go Lady Yuna."

"But I-"

"No Yuna, you must go," Isaaru gently cut her off, giving her a warning glance not to defy the SOLDIER or cause a scene. She nodded once as she left the comfort of his fatherly embrace, already missing his protective warmth and homely smell of sage and incense.

"Thank you Isaaru… for everything," she bowed to him as a sign of gratitude and respect before turning to the SOLDIER in front of her, who stood confidently in the open doorway.

"Take care Yuna, I will pray to the fayth for your safe return home," he said to her back, causing Yuna to turn around one last time before exiting. It seemed Isaaru wasn't finished surprising her yet and as he, her master, her teacher, her superior, bowed down to her she could barely stifle her gasp.

"The train is waiting Lady Yuna," the SOLDIER broke the moment impatiently as he laid a gloved hand on the centre of her back before steering her out of the Temple for the last time.

Walking through her home village for the last time was heart-wrenching to say the least. All her neighbours, friends, even strangers bowed to her as she passed. Those who knew her better smiled ruefully or gave her a half-hearted wave, before continuing on their way. She returned their gestures with a small nod or her own weary smile, before averting her eyes and taking in the small details of her home that she never really noticed before. The smell of the salt in the air, the sound of seagulls, the sway of palm trees, the shifting of their tent-like huts in the breeze, the feel of the rocky path beneath her feet, all those little things that made up her home, the things she'd miss and would probably never see again.

Was this how all those other tributes felt when they took their final walk through Sector Ten? Did they feel the strong sense of nostalgia course deep in their core? Did they feel fear's icy firm grip snatch their hearts and squeeze until they found it hard to breathe? Or did they force their emotions and senses down deep inside the cold depths of their very being until they were nothing better than an empty vessel? Would the horrible pain ripping through her chest ease within the few weeks or would she learn to numb the dreaded feeling until it became nothing but a dull ache? A part of her wasn't sure if she even wanted to know the answers.

"Yunie!"

Yuna instinctively whirled as she heard the familiar voice of her beloved cousin. The desperation in the young blonde's high-pitched voice caused her to inwardly flinch as another bit of agony shredded a part of her soul. She'd probably never see her cousin again either, she'd probably never help her decide which colour looked best on her, or cringe with her when Brother cracked one of his jokes, or cook with her in the kitchen, or plait her blonde hair just the way she like it, or…

Her thoughts were cut off as the slim form of the teen collided with her own, causing her to stagger slightly while Rikku through her arms around her cousin in a death grip, demonstrating power Yuna never knew she even contained.

"Yunie don't go! You can't leave me! You can't do this! Y-you can't j-just sacrifice yourself! Y-you… you…" Rikku broke off as Yuna gently shushed her, feeling fresh tears come to her eyes.

"Rikku… I know this hard, b-but you have to stay strong," Yuna stroked her silky blonde hair, amazed at how she had now switched roles and became the comforter rather than the one needing to be comforted. "You're going to have to be the one to take care of Cid and Brother, you're going to have to be their pillar to lean on, you're going to have to manage because I won't be there…"

"I c-can't… I-I won't be able to-"

Yuna gently pulled her away and placed two soft but firm hands on her shoulders, making Rikku look straight into her eyes and hoping at least some determination shined in them, despite the situation.

"Yes you can Rikku," she told the younger cousin firmly, trying to keep her voice from wavering. "You will manage without me because if I can do it so can you!"

"I can't… I'm not you, Yunie," Rikku's eyes shone with desperation and grief. Their swirled pupils reminded Yuna of a green tunnel that lead straight to the blonde's soul, allowing her emotions to appear clearly in their beautiful irises.

"That doesn't matter, what matters is your my c-" Yuna stopped herself and gave her cousin a meaningful look that only Rikku would know what she meant by it. "You're my sister," she corrected herself, "and that means we share the same blood, so we'll always be connected, no matter what. I know you'll be able to manage because you're a part of me, so a part of me will remain with you forever and all you need to do is seek it out and it will guide you."

Rikku looked like she was going to say something else but she must've though better because she bit down on her pale pink lip and nodded once, brows furrowing in determination and eyes taking on a look that mirrored Yuna's.

Pride swelled in her chest and managed to banish some of the more dark emotions for a few minutes. "Good," she stated firmly. "I promise you that I will do everything in my power to break the cycle, to stop the spiral. I promise to deliver hope, even if it's faint, even if it's just a spark, I will summon it and I know that somehow, someway, someone will fan it and turn it into a flame. Then you'll know that the cycle's been broken and that the spiral has finally met its end."

"I know you will Yunie, you always keep your promises," Rikku gave her a weak smile before taking one of the pale summoner's hands and slipping something cool yet sold and familiar into her hand. "When you're scared just rub this and hopefully you'll feel a part of me with you when you're in the dark."

Yuna squeezed the object, already needing its comfort. The one last thing she had left of her mother, her mother's necklace. The necklace that had been passed through the family for generations, her uncle Cid had said that a piece of each family member's soul was contained in the tiny silver thing, that not all of their soul travelled to the farplane, some stayed to shed light on future generations.

The sound of a throat being cleared behind them broke their sentimental moment. Rikku shot an angry glare at the SOLDIER who seemed unfazed to say the least. A train's horn sounded in the distance, making Yuna realise her time with her cousin was running short. Her hand tightened around the object her cousin had given her and she ignored the SOLDIER who was tapping his foot impatiently against the rocky ground of the village.

"Rikku I have to go," Yuna pulled her cousin into what might be their last hug, but decided to sweep the thought to the back of her mind, simply enjoying her cousin's sweet fragrance and familiar warmth. "Thank you for everything and you…" she heaved in a shaky breath before continuing, "and you'll always be my sister."

"You'll always be my sister too Yunie and I won't ever forget what you did for me today," Yuna felt tiny drops of warm liquid spill onto her bare shoulder as Rikku sniffled in their embrace.

Yuna gently pulled away, allowing one last tear to run down her own cheek before she wiped away Rikku's with soft fingers. Giving her closest family member one last weak smile, she turned around and followed the relieved SOLDIER to the train, where Shelinda and Tidus were waiting inside along with her mentors. Her feet felt like lead and seemed heavier to move with each step she took towards the train and away from everything she had ever known for the last seventeen happy, content years of her life.

She didn't bother to stop the tears that flowed freely down her cheeks this time, she didn't make a single attempt or any effort to keep them back, closed off by her thick lashes. She didn't whimper or sob or sniff, the only sound she heard was that of wood creaking beneath her boots as she stepped onto the platform. Her tears would be silent as death for this moment so that they'd contain more meaning in their clear liquid form. She'd let herself feel just this once as she said goodbye to everything she ever cherished in her life.

But what Yuna did not know as the train's doors closed behind her and as she cast one last glance at her home and family, all the things she loved, was that she'd find something else to cherish waiting for her at the Capitol.

* * *

Yuna's head began to hurt as Shelinda prattled on and on about manners and good posture along with something else about good behaviour and smiling. Yuna eventually managed to tune her out focusing on the motion of the train beneath her feet as they walked down the corridor. She'd heard it all before from Isaaru anyway, by now her fake smile was second nature to her.

Glancing towards her best friend, she saw that he too was tuning her out, staring at the floor as he walked and giving the odd grunt or slight nod of his head when appropriate. His deep blue eyes had that distant look about them as if he was in deep thought. For once in her life Yuna couldn't tell what he was thinking. Was it about the Games? Or what weapon he'd use? Or maybe about what would happen to their relationship in the arena? Would they work as a team and remain best friends? Or would their relationship simply crumble the second they entered the arena?

Her thoughts were cut off as the automatic door swished open and they entered a lavishly decorated dining room. A long wooden table stretched ahead of her, covered by a silk white table cloth with symbols of Yevon stitched into it. Polished wooden chairs lined the sides of the table, each with its own plump red cushion. Light poured in through the long crystal clear glass windows on either side of the carriage, where rich red curtains hung. The thick carpet felt like heaven under her feet, even more so than the carpet in the Temple.

A man who looked to be about in his forties was seated at the table. He looked tall and strong, but Yuna couldn't really tell since he wore a large red cloak. His hair was jet black with grey streaks and one of his dark eyes was closed shut permanently behind his small black glasses. A long katanna rested by his chair and seemed to gleam menacingly in the well-lit room.

"Sir Auron!" Shelinda cooed in her shrill voice and Yuna could've sworn she saw the man cringe. "Come meet the new tributes!" she turned her head back towards them. "Come! Come! Don't be shy! This is Sir Auron, your new mentor!"

Auron looked up from his food with an unimpressed expression written over his matured face. She forced herself not to shift uncomfortably under his judgemental stare as he looked her and Tidus up and down with his one good eye. She felt a feeling of dread seep into the bottom of her stomach and instantly knew that she would not get on well with her new mentor.

"Hmm, a blitzer and a priestess?" Auron drawled, turning back to his meal with disinterest. "Do either of you even know how to hold a sword?" he asked in a bored tone, turning back to his lunch.

Before Yuna could respond, Tidus stepped up with an indignant huff. "Of course we can! What do you think we learn at school? How to become clowns?"

"I would've thought they'd teach you to control your temper," Auron replied evenly not even looking up at them.

"I would've thought you'd be more polite," Yuna cut in calmly but added a slight edge to her voice, before Tidus could say anything he'd regret later.

Auron looked up now and gave her a quick once over with his good eye. Yuna tried not to shrink back under his calculating gaze but kept her spine straight, reminding herself of how Isaaru's gaze was ten times worse.

"So you can use a sword then?" he addressed her in a deadpan voice.

"No… I prefer to use magic," she replied holding his gaze.

He gave a small snort, making Yuna's blood boil. "Which kind?"

"White magic."

"That won't do you much good against an opponent in the games, they'll kill you before you can even cure yourself."

"I know offensive white magic and defensive as well as curative and I've almost mastered a spell of masking myself," Yuna told him allowing a hint of pride to creep into her voice. "And white magic is similar enough to black magic."

"Do you know any black magic?" he questioned, turning back to his meal.

"No, not yet," she admitted.

"And you can't use a sword?"

"No, not really."

"Then I cannot help you," he said with finality. "I can help the blitzer, since he looks like he can actually lift a sword, but you are worthless."

_Worthless…_ The word wrung through her head like the echo of a giant bell and seemed to reverberate off the walls of her heart. Her aeons screamed indignantly within her soul, insulted and disgusted with the man before her. Fury clawed its way into her veins and threatened to take hold of her actions but she shoved it down, knowing that throwing a temper tantrum would not help her situation.

"She can summon," Tidus blurted out in a desperate attempt to defend her. "She can summon lots of different aeons and she's got a great bond with them."

Now he seemed interested, his facial expression actually changed slightly as his eyebrows rose with mild surprise. "Can you summon without a staff?"

"No…" she answered sheepishly. She had tried before but it required a lot of magic and energy to do so. A staff, depending on its quality would provide her with that extra source of power and would also work as a way to channel the fayth from her soul into reality. She didn't think she'd ever heard of someone who could summon without a staff.

"Worthless," he repeated once again.

"She's not worthless!" Tidus suddenly exploded, fists shaking by his sides and blue eyes dark with fury. "She's better than any mage you'll find in the Capitol and she'll be a great asset if she can heal wounds in the games! You don't even know her, so who are you to judge without reason?"

Yuna recoiled in shock at his sudden outburst. In all her life she had never seen Tidus act so rashly with such raw emotion and fury, it actually scared her. She understood that her friend was defending her but the way he did it just… shocked her. Why was he suddenly so aggressive?

She and Shelinda simply watched as Auron's face took on a dangerous expression and Tidus' glare sent the mentor a secret challenge. One wrong move and both of them would explode and Yuna was positive that she wouldn't like to get caught in the cross-fire.

"So! Let's eat, shall we?" Shelinda chimed in trying to break the tension. She grabbed both Yuna and Tidus' upper arms and led them to the table, sitting opposite the seething mentor.

Yuna had never seen so much food in her life, the only time that ever grew near this amount was when her family had celebrated her becoming of a summoner, but even then there wasn't even half the amount of food as there was laid out in front of her at the moment.

She looked towards Tidus and Shelinda for confirmation as to whether they could start to eat, but Shelinda's plate was already full of food and Tidus had started to butter bread, so she too began to pick at the contents on the table.

Table conversation was scarce as they ate and an uncomfortable thick silence descended upon the group, Shelinda tried in vain to start up a conversation, but none around her would follow her example. Yuna let out an inaudible sigh of relief when her efforts finally ceased and the silence grew on. She liked silence, it was peaceful, and tranquillizing, but even so she loved friendly table conversation, like the one she used to have at home with Cid, Brother and Rikku…

She fought back the sense of nostalgia rising within her and chewed vigorously on her bread roll, in an attempt to distract herself. She'd only been away from home for less than an hour and yet she already missed it so terribly. When she had travelled around Sector Ten with Isaaru, obtaining aeons, she hadn't felt homesick, she'd had her teacher with her and Tidus had tagged along as a source of extra protection. He was here with her now, so why did she feel this way?

_Because I'm probably not going to return from this journey_, she mentally answered her own question.

The sound of automatic doors swishing open caught her attention and she raised her head. A woman who looked to be in her early twenties strode into the room. She wore black leather shorts and a black leather top that hung loosely around her slim yet toned figure and exposed her flat stomach and pale shoulders. Numerous leather belts and buckles adorned her attire and two red straps seemed to travel from her shoulders to her toes but Yuna couldn't see since they disappeared behind black leather just beneath where her shorts ended on her upper thigh. Black leather gloves covered her hands and forearms and travelled up to her elbows. Her boots had extremely sharp looking heals and gave her an extra inch or two in height. A necklace with a small silvery grey pendant rested on her chest and Yuna wondered how the barbed wire chain did not cut into her smooth skin. The woman's hair was completely silver and cropped short so that some bits spiked up and others were smoothed back, but that's not what scared Yuna.

It was her eyes.

Her irises were crimson to the core and her dark pupils only made the red stand out even further. They reminded Yuna of fire and blood as they studied each person seated at the table with precision and determination. She had a certain air about her, one of seriousness and domination, but there was something else, something unnerving there too. Yuna couldn't put her finger on it but there was just something… unnatural about it.

"So the demon awakes from her slumber," Shelinda spat bitterly upon the young woman's entrance. Yuna caught Tidus' look of surprise that matched her own, never had Shelinda ever been anything but fake smiles and glittering rainbows of false joy. She must've really hated the crimson-eyed woman for her persona to change so fast.

"So the priestess is still stuffing her face," the young woman shot back giving Shelinda a glare that would make you want to run for your life.

Shelinda looked appalled and looked like she was going to demand an apology at first but once she saw the woman's glare, she shrank back in her seat and averted her eyes, apparently having lost her appetite. A look of satisfaction crossed the woman's face before she sat down next to Auron and laid her own broad sword against the chair. Yuna hadn't noticed it before she'd been too busy staring at the woman's eyes. It was huge with a skull embedded into the fine silver just below its red hilt. How could a woman with such a petite figure lift a sword that huge?

"I thought we'd agreed; no swords at the table," Shelinda complained through gritted teeth, looking pointedly at the woman.

"What's the matter Shelly?" she deadpanned while lifting her huge sword onto the table and running her gloved finger over the sharp edge of it, making Shelinda flinch backwards. Yuna could see Tidus trying hard not to laugh at the ridiculous nickname and felt the corners of her own lips quirk upwards as a small snort escaped his mouth. "Afraid I'll let it slip?"

"On purpose or by accident?" Shelinda challenged, but her voice still wavered slightly.

"Depends where it slips," the woman answered in a monotone.

Shelinda's neck became a deep shade of red and her face began to turn the same colour little by little, so that Yuna was afraid her head would simply pop. She didn't know whether Shelinda would have the guts to actually challenge the warrior, but if she did she knew it would not end well for Shelinda.

"Cool sword!" Tidus exclaimed breaking the tense atmosphere and looking at the sword with glittering eyes. "Is it as heavy as it looks?"

"Depends on how strong you are," the warrior replied in a monotone. "You're the new tributes?" she enquired emotionlessly raising a slender eyebrow while looking at the two teens.

"Yep! I'm Tidus and this is Yuna," Tidus answered hastily. When did he retrieve his cheery atmosphere? Wasn't he supposed to feel as depressed as she did about the games? Then again, she knew that no one could keep Tidus' spirits down for long; it came bouncing back in no time. The warrior's defiant attitude towards Shelinda simply sped it up.

"The name's Paine," she said simply. "I'll be your second mentor."

She went to take an apple from the fruit bowl and a heavy silence descended on the group. Only the sound of the train moving fast could be heard and the satisfied noises of people eating their meals. Yuna cast the occasional glance around the table, sometimes catching Shelinda shooting a disgusted look at Paine and Paine acting oblivious and uncaring, though the way the warrior stroked her sword every time Shelinda sent a glare led her to believe Paine observed more than she let on.

Yuna cleared her throat politely catching the attention of the table. "So what happens now? I mean…" she started sheepishly, "shouldn't we be discussing tactics or training or something?"

"Yeah…" Tidus backed her up slightly. "We don't really know what's going to happen now, so…" He let the sentence hang in the air hoping someone would supply an answer. Auron looked to Shelinda who still had a sour look on her face but she brightened slightly realising her busy timetable was now being discussed.

"Well…" she began, "first we'll be passing through the Capitol streets, so make sure to wave out the window and smile, in order to help the people remember your face and entice sponsors. Then Lulu, your make-up and fashion artist, will pick suitable outfits for the parade of tributes and another for the interviews that follow afterwards. Then you shall commence your three weeks of training and go through your final exams. I'll fill you in on all the details later on."

"Where will we be staying?" Tidus asked curiously.

"In a hotel, but don't worry, either Auron," she paused looking at the gothic warrior with disgust for a second before reverting back into her cheery self, "Paine or I will escort you everywhere. But it will most be Auron and I, Paine can't really do it."

"Why do you need to escort us?" Yuna asked. She didn't see why she'd need an escort to go everywhere with her. Would they go to the bathroom with her an all? Now that would be embarrassing! But why did she need an escort? It wasn't like she could get lost in a hotel!

"For… protection," Shelinda answered hesitantly.

"Why can't Paine do that?" Tidus queried. "I mean… she sure looks well capable of it."

Auron let out a slight snort of amusement. "At least he has a bit of observational skills."

"Paine can't because…" Shelinda looked up at the red-eyed warrior, enjoying every minute of Paine's discomfort and warning look. "She'd put you in more danger just being near you."

"Why's that?" Tidus pressed on, leaning unconsciously forward with interest.

"Assassination attempts," Paine deadpanned. At Tidus' confused gaze she rolled her eyes but continued on. "Some don't take kindly to previous victors like me."

"You were a victor?" Yuna asked.

"We were both previous victors," Auron said. "I won the forty-third annual games and Paine won the seventieth. I don't get assassination attempts because I didn't exactly kill important people who were tributes in the games. Paine's game was a different matter. But she is well able to take care of herself and you both. You'll be fine with her."

"Why don't you tell them the last bit?" Shelinda pressed the previous victors. "Why don't you tell them the big secret of why everyone wants the abomination dead?"

Yuna gasped at her cruel words and even Tidus looked blown away by her bitter attitude towards the attractive warrior. How could anyone call another human being an abomination? That was just completely disgusting and rude and extremely unlike the chubby priestess. Besides Paine didn't look like an abomination, sure she had red eyes and wore gothic clothes but that didn't make her one. Why did Shelinda hate her so much? Paine's ridiculous nickname for her couldn't be the only cause, right?

"Wouldn't want to give them nightmares," Paine deadpanned, picking up her sword with ease and tossing her apple core into the shiny bin across the room. She made her way with a certain swagger to her hips towards the door she entered through, her face expressionless and betraying no emotion.

"Where are you going?" Shelinda demanded.

"To train," she said over her shoulder, not even turning around.

"In what?" Shelinda sneered. "The art of hexes and demonic magic?"

"Yes, exactly that," Paine said dully. "I'm working on a spell that removes priestess' mouths permanently," she added as the door swished closed behind her.

Tidus couldn't hold in his laughter this time at the look on Shelinda's face.


	4. Of Sunshine And Porcupines

**A/N:**** Ok so I don't think I've updated in a while, so I apologise to those who have been waiting for an update, I had a slight bit of writer's block and therefore this chapter isn't as long as the others, but I have some of the next chapter already written so expect another update soon!**

_**Response to reviews:**_

**Irish-Brigid:**** Thank you for your review, I really appreciate it! I did think of having Jecht as the second mentor but I thought using a girl would be better and Paine's one of my favourite characters of Final Fantasy so I put her as the second mentor instead. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy or the Hunger Games, unfortunately.**

Chapter 4: Of Sunshine and Porcupines

The Capitol was mesmerising to Yuna. She had thought Luca and Bevelle were big but it was nothing compared to the Capitol. She couldn't help but simply stare at the massive buildings and tightly packed streets full of wealthy people and sponsors. Granted she didn't get to see the bottom half of the Capitol as their train had led them directly above the plate that separated the slums from the rich zone, but Shelinda had informed her that there was no need to travel to the slums; no one could be wealthy enough there to sponsor her. Yuna at first had been slightly surprised by the way the snobby priestess gave the less fortunate the cold shoulder easily with a smile on her chubby face but she had to keep reminding herself that things worked differently in this sector than her own.

Tidus looked as amazed as she did, his blue eyes growing adorably wide as people cheered for them and took pictures. The beautiful elegant buildings rose to great heights above their carriage as the train moved slowly through the lively streets. Yuna didn't know where the buildings ended and the sky started. The buildings in Bevelle and Luca had been big, but they weren't as bunched together nor as tall and the people roaming the streets certainly didn't look as happy as the ones before her.

Despite her conscience angrily reminding her of the Games and how she hated them, she allowed herself to simply forget about her worries for a few minutes and waved back at the colourful crowd, smiling sweetly and studying as many faces as she could. It felt good to be paid so much attention even though she knew she was simply another form of entertainment, disposable and easily replaced. But Auron had explained, once Paine had left to train, that they'd need as much sponsors as possible in order to survive in the arena, so Yuna decided to simply tell herself she was looking out for survival as she looked out the train window smiling at the crowd. She didn't care if she lied to herself just this once, as long as it was convincing.

She wondered if the other tributes were already here and what they were feeling right now. What would they be like? Were they well-trained or simply normal teenagers with very little fighting skill. She knew it was evil and selfish but she hoped it was the latter, that would make survival easier for her and she could keep her promise to Rikku.

As soon as the train stopped, Paine had re-entered the carriage, ignoring Shelinda's murderous glare and Auron's amused expression. The long broadsword hung neatly against her leather-clad form as she headed briskly for the exit. Yuna and Tidus both looked at one another simultaneously, a habit they had grown accustomed too over the years, before scuttling excitedly after her, ready to get a bit closer to all the action in the street.

Lights from cameras blinded her as the SOLDIERs tried to push the crowd back, while the two tributes, their mentors and the priestess patiently waited for the guards to clear a path towards the hotel entrance. Well… most of them waited patiently, Paine however simply rolled her eyes and pushed past the SOLDIERs with the usual dominating air about her. The crowd seemed to immediately part and push away from the crimson-eyed woman, who didn't even bat an eyelash at their curious behaviour. Yuna didn't know if they were clearing a path because they respected the warrior or if they stayed away out of fear. Possibly both.

"Why is the crowd avoiding her like she has the plague?" Yuna heard Tidus question Auron interestedly as they followed their mysterious mentor.

"Paine…" Auron began hesitantly casting a glance at the silver-haired woman. "Let's just say, she's a victor who's got a reputation."

Shelinda scoffed beside him. "That's an understatement."

"Why-?" But Tidus never finished his question as a battle cry resounded through the busy street. Yuna turned to see a man with a black mask racing toward Paine with a knife in his hand and a look of pure ferocity in his eyes. The SOLDIERs began to rush towards her, but Yuna knew they'd never get to her in time. Paine showed no evidence in her stride or stance that she'd heard the attacker, she just kept walking steadily, but as the man drew within reaching distance, she grabbed his wrist and sharply twisted it to the side, causing him to scream in agony and drop the silver weapon. She then curled her gloved hand into a fist nailing the man in the side of his face with a curved punch and releasing the death grip she had on his wrist, she used the spinning moment to send him unconscious with a well-placed round-house kick with the sharp heel of her boot.

Yuna watched in horror as a fine spray of blood burst from the man's twisted jaw as he crashed to the ground. A deep blue bruise was already beginning to appear on his pained face and his knife lay hopelessly by his side. Gasps and muffled screams of horror rang through the upper-class audience as they backed away from the broken man and the stoic warrior. Yuna couldn't really blame them, it wasn't a pretty sight.

SOLDIERs briskly took the unconscious man away and Paine continued on her way into the hotel as if nothing had happened. Auron had to pull at Tidus and Yuna to shake them out of their shocked stares and Yuna was sure her jaw had been hanging open in a very unladylike way. She couldn't believe that Paine had just acted so natural about the attack as if it happened daily. Well… for all she knew it did and Shelinda had hinted that it was unsafe to travel with the woman. But why did everyone want to kill her mentor? What did Paine do that was so bad?

"Let's go in, shall we?" Shelinda suggested perkily. "I'm sure she's fighting off another assassin in the lobby."

* * *

After being shown to their rooms, which were all quite near to one another and in the one corridor with a private dining room in between just for them, Shelinda gave them another briefing on what was to take place that evening. Yuna hadn't been listening though; she was too preoccupied with taking in the wondrous décor of her surrounding environment. The plush cream carpet and beige wallpaper gave the room a cosy feel and the fabulously comfortable couches and bed were like heaven on earth. Even the Temple back in Besaid hadn't had this much wealth and her bedroom itself was nearly twice the size of the chamber of the fayth and that wasn't even including her private bathroom attached to her room. She felt slightly guilty at first that she was getting better surroundings than even her aeons got but that soon vanished once she saw the fridge was packed to the brim with delicious food. She reasoned that she'd be fighting for her survival in three weeks so she deserved to be pampered for the moment.

"We should take them to Lulu," Paine, the holy saviour of everyone's bored minds, interrupted Shelinda. "They need to get fitted and she needs to design their outfits for tonight."

"They need to know what's going to happen tonight," Shelinda flustered, her cheeks staining red from the effort of talking non-stop. "They can go to Lulu in an hour or so and we'll be on schedule."

"Why don't I take Tidus to the training room to see what he knows with a sword, I'll update him on tonight's events and then Paine can take Yuna to Lulu to get fitted while Tidus and I are training? She and Lulu can inform Yuna on tonight's events and then we'll be ahead of schedule," Auron suggested logically, not even waiting for Shelinda's answer and heading for his sword. Tidus looked to Yuna, as if to ask her if she approved of Auron's plan and with a small smile of confirmation from the summoner, he briskly followed the male warrior before Shelinda could object.

Paine simply nodded at Yuna silently and headed for the exit without looking back on the protesting priestess. Yuna decided she'd rather learn more about tonight from the mysterious warrior and this Lulu person than from Shelinda so she scurried after Paine before Shelinda could start another rant about her master schedule, closing the door with a sigh of relief behind her.

Paine was already a good few steps ahead of her when she turned around, not even looking back to see if Yuna was following her_. Is Paine not supposed to be my escort?_ She wondered as she rushed to catch up with the gothic woman who didn't acknowledge the summoner as she fell into step beside her mentor. Yuna took this chance to secretly study her from the corner of her eye.

The warrior looked business-like, staring straight ahead and walking briskly. Her cold demeanour gave her a dominating presence in the long corridor and her bloody eyes seemed able to penetrate a human's soul with just a glance. She wore no make-up and only a small amount of jewellery, maybe it was too make her look tougher. The long sword hanging from the warrior's belt completed her rebellious attire and sent silent threats to those around her. Yuna then began to wonder who trained the woman and about her background, but rather than outright asking, knowing that Paine would never simply open up to her, she decided to take a different route to start a hopefully pleasant conversation with her intimidating mentor.

"Who's Lulu?" Yuna asked after walking down the corridor in silence for a bit.

"She's your fashion artist and make-up technician," Paine answered emotionlessly. At Yuna's confused expression she continued, "she'll be choosing your outfits, styling your hair and doing your make-up."

"I'm capable of dressing myself you know," Yuna replied calmly even though she was rather disturbed at the thought of someone else dressing her up as if she were some… doll. Why couldn't she simply choose her own clothes? And do her own hair and make-up? Did all tributes have to go through this?

"I don't doubt it, but you don't know what the Capitol likes, Lulu does and she'll make you look appealing to the crowd," Paine told her, looking straight ahead.

"I'm not sure I understand…" she trailed off letting the question hang in the air. Did the Capitol have different interests in clothes and appearance than her own sector? Why wouldn't she appeal to them the way she was? How much of her appearance would she have to change?

Paine gave a small sigh but stopped to explain anyway. "You're going to be fighting to win the most brutal competition in the world. If you want to survive, you're going to need sponsors, but they'll only sponsor you if they think you can win the games. No one will expect a priestess to win the games, so we need to make you look like you can be the next victor."

"Is that not… cheating?" she asked hesitantly, not wanting to contradict the fearsome woman though still wanting to keep up the conversation. Despite how emotionless Paine was, she liked talking to her, she was the type of person who would calmly explained things and listened easily. Back in Besaid, the only girl she'd really talked to was Rikku and the hyper Al Bhed couldn't sit still for a minute, she wasn't the greatest person for listening to others.

"Cheating or not, it will keep you alive," Paine responded with a careless shrug of her shoulder. "You need to be willing to do anything to survive in these games, I'll explain everything to you when Lulu's fixing you up."

"What about you?" Yuna wondered out loud.

"What about me?"

"Does she choose your clothes for you too?" Yuna prodded, noticing that someone else was coming up the corridor opposite them, although because of the length she couldn't see them very clearly.

"No," she responded with an uncaring tone to her voice. "There's no point, it wouldn't change the way they think about me, about what I did."

Yuna nodded wordlessly, knowing better than to dig any deeper into someone else's business. Besides, she didn't want to get on the wrong side of Paine, not because she feared her, though Yuna did fear her a little bit, but because Auron certainly wouldn't make an effort to train her or help her, Paine was her last hope and judging by Paine's show of self-defence today, she knew her mentor would train her well.

"Thank you," Paine said suddenly, finally turning her head to look at Yuna.

"For what?"

"For not asking what I did," she supplied matter-of-factly but Yuna knew that Paine finally looked at her so that Yuna could see the gratitude in her crimson eyes. Yuna gave the warrior and genuine smile and turned her attention back towards the corridor ahead of her.

The stranger from the far end of the hall had grown closer and Yuna could now see that he was a young adult who looked to be in his early twenty's with spiky black hair and glittering bright blue eyes. They weren't like Tidus' deep ocean blue; they were more like a summer's sky, but with that eerie glow to them, the mako glow. It didn't take her long to determine he was a soldier with his well-toned and muscular body and his massive buster sword resting easily on his back. He was well taller than them, Yuna was sure Paine only came up to his chin, and was clad in a navy SOLDIER outfit, one that symbolised he was a first class SOLDIER.

He was grinning wickedly at them, no… wait not at them… at Paine.

"Hey there Sunshine, long time, no see," he greeted her, looking her up and down once with those enchanting eyes of his. Yuna tried her best not to show her shock at a good-looking man like him calling someone like Paine, a gothic warrior, 'sunshine' of all things. It was like someone calling Tidus a black storm cloud or something else depressing.

"Porcupine," she greeted him in a deadpan one of voice but that only made his grin widen if that was even possible. Yuna could've sworn she saw a look of discomfort flash in Paine's eyes but she decided it was just her imagination as it was gone in a second.

The hand hidden behind his back suddenly appeared in front of her mentor, holding a delicate black rose. "A flower for my lady," he announced in his charming voice.

A look of suspicion flashed through those intimidating crimson eyes before her mentor took the flower from him with her gloved hand. "How sweet," she deadpanned though her eyes betrayed the true happiness she felt as they cast their gaze downwards, the emotion hidden safely behind lashes and eyelids.

Porcupine had obviously noticed but didn't drag out Paine's emotion, making Yuna believe he at least had some sense. "And who is the lovely lady accompanying you?"

Paine's gaze rose again as she gestured with a slight inclination of her head towards her. "This is Yuna, Sector Ten's female tribute."

"So I heard, Sector ten's very first volunteer," Porcupine, Yuna didn't think that was his real name but it did suit him with his unnaturally spiky messy hair, said as he finally tore his gaze from Paine and took in her appearance. "Either your very confident or very spontaneous to volunteer this year, the competition's rough."

"You've seen the other tributes?" Paine enquired with a hint of curiosity in her tone as she crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. Yuna was too concerned with the other tributes to notice that Paine had been careful not to squash the dark flower.

"We got to watch the reapings live," Porcupine explained and cracking a grin at her he spread his arms out slightly in a mockingly innocent gesture. "Advantages of living in the Capitol, babe."

Yuna tried to hold in her gasp as the apparently fearless man called her mentor 'babe' and was sure he had a death wish. Paine would probably kill him and she'd get the chance to really see how much wounds she could heal without a staff but the warrior simply rolled her eyes at this a slight scowl appearing on her lips. "What are they like?"

"Thirteen's got two warriors, one of them is an l'cie, eight's got a gunblade wielder, six has a skilled witch and some circus clown that loves his magic too," he listed off, stroking an invisible beard and missing the expression of horror crossing Yuna's features. "One has some kind of armoured dark warrior with a chain and nine has a thief."

Paine nodded in consideration, placing a gloved hand on her chin and casting her eyes downwards in thought. Yuna felt the blood drain from her face and was sure she looked like a deer caught in headlights. How could she deal with that? Two skilled mages who could probably penetrate her white magic, strong warriors who would have no trouble picking her off with a flick of their swords, a gunblade wielder who could probably kill her from twenty feet away and thieves who could probably sneak up on her and slit her throat while she slept.

_I'm sorry Rikku… I don't think I'll be able to keep my promise_, Yuna thought sorrowfully as she felt tears sting the back of her eyes.

Porcupine must've noticed the expression on her face because he quickly placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave her a genuine smile. "Don't worry about it; I'm sure you'll do fine though, after all… Paine is your mentor," he added, grinning cheekily at said woman a hidden question glittering in his captivating eyes.

"No," Paine suddenly said, her scowl deepening slightly, "giving me a flower and flattering me won't change the answer."

"Aw, c'mon! Sunshine, just once, that's all I'm asking!" he cried, taking his attention off Yuna and giving it all to the goth before him.

"No." Yuna could see the man's face begin to grow desperate from the rejection.

"Don't make me use the puppy dog face!" he pleaded with the goth pouting in a very cute manner that made Yuna want to giggle, forgetting all about the other tributes. She didn't want to break up the hilarious moment, she'd contain her laughter for a little longer.

"Heaven forbid you would take such drastic measures," Paine deadpanned with a raised slender eyebrow.

"Don't make me beg, don't make me get on my knees!" he continued, ignoring her sarcastic comment and bending down, so that he supported himself on one knee and clasped his hands together as if he were praying. "Please! Just this once!"

"You've been saying that for the last three years," she replied in a monotone dismissively.

"Only because you keep rejecting me!" the spiky haired man objected, before he made his eyes grow large and begging, increasing his pouting efforts and getting down on two knees. "Please!"

"You're making a show of yourself," Paine muttered, her cheeks growing a suspicious shade of pink as she quickly looked up and down the corridor, thinking Yuna didn't notice.

But she did.

"I'm showing my undying desire for you to accept and come to the parade of tributes with me."

"I can make it a dead desire easily."

Yuna decided to cut the lovesick puppy before her some slack and gently laid a hand on Paine's shoulder. "I think it's a good idea," she began calmly earning a hopeful look from the ebony haired man and a murderous glare from Paine, but she swallowed her fear and continued on. Paine would thank her for this one day. "He's from the Capitol, so he could get you good seats and you'd be able to get a better look at the tributes so you can tell me what I'm up against."

Paine's glare faded slightly allowing Yuna to see the small tug of war her mentor was mentally having through her eyes. Porcupine remained on the ground casting hopeful mako-tainted eyes at the woman before him.

"Fine!" Paine's resolve finally crumbled as she exasperatedly accepted the strange man's offer. Yuna couldn't help but let her giggles out now, he was the only person she'd seen get an emotional response out of Paine, not even Shelinda could've done it. A feeling of joy bubbled inside of her as a grin spread across the handsome man's face; it felt good helping people again.

Porcupine leapt onto his feet – quite literally – and hugged Paine, twirling her around in a circle, so that she was lifted up off the floor. He trapped Paine's arms by her sides in his bear hug and Yuna could hear Paine make a noise of protest at the close contact but Porcupine didn't seem to mind, he gently set her down again and grinned like a cheshire cat.

"Make sure to wear a dress," he said with a wink and sped away down the hall like a giddy munchkin with a sugar rush before Paine could reach for his neck.

"Who was that?" Yuna asked Paine whose cheek's colour was fading within seconds, her eyes becoming dominant and her composure emotionless once again.

"Zack Fair," she replied as they made their way down the hall again. "One of Sector Seven's mentors and one of its few first class SOLDIERs. Also one of the most over-confident flirts you'll ever meet."

"I thought you'd be more sinister towards one another," Yuna said trying to keep the curiosity out of her voice. "Since, you know, you mentor different tributes and the Games are extremely competitive."

"Normally we are," Paine admitted with a slight sigh, twirling the rose absentmindedly in her fingers, "last year Auron and I got into a fist fight with Thirteen's mentors, Snow and Fang, but Zack… is just extremely friendly towards us and Auron and Angeal have been friends for a long time now, Angeal's the Capitol's second mentor. We get on with the Capitol's mentors well, though we make sure we don't give any of our tribute's attributes away when conversing. Zack may have a few screws loose but he takes care of his tributes, I'll give him that much. He's always been extremely friendly towards most people, it'll get him killed one day."

"He seems to have taken an interest in you," Yuna voiced her observation before she could stop herself. She cleared her throat, averting her eyes as she began to fidget nervously with her kimono sleeves. "I mean… if you… um, if you don't mind me saying so."

"I don't, just…" Paine sighed heavily as they came to stop outside a hotel room door. "Don't mention a word of that event to anyone… ever."

"You have my word as a summoner," Yuna replied. "He seems like a real gentleman, perhaps you should simply give him a chance."

"I didn't ask for your opinion," she snapped back rudely, but Yuna paid no mind.

"I apologise, I was simply voicing a suggestion," she responded forcing a smile. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"Apology accepted," she deadpanned.

"But what exactly did you agree to?" Yuna pushed once more, feeling slightly bold again.

"He wants me to be his date for the parade of tributes with him," Paine answered in a monotone but with a slight hint of regret in her voice.

"Is that not a good thing?" Yuna asked confused. If someone like Zack asked her out, she would be over the moon, so why was Paine being so… difficult about it? Why was she so cold to a man as gorgeous as him who was obviously trying to court her? "What are you worried about if I may ask? Is it the publicity?"

"You may ask, as long as we speak of this no more afterwards," Paine replied while she knocked on the door with her gloved knuckles. "It's not the publicity I'm worried about… It's his safety."

Before Yuna could be so bold as to enquire what she meant by that the door flew open as a woman who resembled Paine yet looked far too young to be her mother. Her eyes too were a crimson colour yet they weren't as bloody as Paine's, the woman's seemed to have a pinkish tint to them. Her lips were a deep shade of purple while she wore heavy eye make-up which contrasted greatly with her pale complexion. Her jet black fringe covered half of her face, obstructing Yuna's sight of her other eye. The remains of the long strands were tied into a tight bun at the back of her head, allowing dreadlocks to burst from the bun and trail down her back. Four colourful chopsticks protruded from her bun and kept it in place. Her dress exposed her bare shoulders and most of her chest. Fur lined the top of the dress while the grey sleeves flew to enormous lengths and covered her hands, while numerous necklaces of beads hung from her neck. The bottom of the dress was cut in such a way that her front legs were shown but the backs of them were not. Millions of belts and buckles prevented anyone from seeing her naked legs though bits of pearly white skin shone through the cracks.

"I was not expecting you to take so long," Lulu greeted them her voice was like a mixture of velvet and chocolate, soft yet deep and feminine.

"Are we not early?" Yuna asked, confusion mixing into her innocent voice.

Lulu turned her vibrant eyes on Yuna and gave a small smile laced with a tint of mischief. "Yes you are; I'm just surprised you could stick Shelinda's presence for so long." She turned back to the stoic warrior. "I'm truly impressed by how your patience has grown, Paine. Do come in."


	5. The Parade

**A/N:**** Ok so here is the next chapter, sorry it took so long. And just to let you all know I did have to change some of the characters ages so that they could enter the games for example I know Yuna's older than Paine in FFX-2 but in this Paine is twenty and Yuna's seventeen, ok? And for those of you who have played FFX I know Shelinda is kind of OOC in this, I kind of realised that now when I read back over it but there is a perfect reason why she is so horrible to Paine, you'll just have to read it to find out! Speaking of reading on…**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! I don't own Final Fantasy or the Hunger Games.**

Chapter 5: The Parade

Yuna sat nervously in Lulu's room as the woman busied herself in finding fabrics and hair equipment strewn across her make-shift make-up room. Paine sat comfortably in an armchair across from the young white mage, occasionally making small conversation with Lulu about town gossip, fashion ideas or Shelinda's fake nose.

Yuna felt like she should be joining in however she simply let her mind wander to her list of worries which had suddenly escalated dramatically in less than a few hours. She had to keep her promise to her cousin, earn Auron's respect, learn how to fight and survive, maintain her friendship with Tidus, find a suitable outfit to get thousands of people to like her and not mess up a live interview with a charming talk show host.

Oh yeah, and simply win the Fantasy Games.

Yuna shook her head in a futile attempt to rid herself of her depressing thoughts. For once in her life she really did feel the pressure loom on her shoulders like a great weight trying to squash her soul out of existence. Her aeons remained quiet and gave her no comforting words of advice or knowledge. Probably because they knew none would help her survive in the upcoming weeks.

Now that… was a bad sign.

"You're thinking about this way too much," Paine shook Yuna from her thoughts with her deadpanned voice.

Yuna looked up to the woman in front of her as she felt her brows furrow with confusion and slight frustration. Was she really that obvious with her emotions? Did they show so easily on her facial features or in her mismatched eyes?

"When you enter those games you'll run, find water, food and shelter and hide until you're one of the last tributes," Paine made it sound so simple and so easy that Yuna felt her brow un-crease and a small weight being lifted off of her shoulders. "Auron and I will get you sponsors and we'll send in whatever weapon you need to help you win then it'll be up to you."

"Was that your plan when you entered the games?" Yuna asked curiously, eager to dig out small handfuls of information about Paine's past.

"No, I ran for a sword and supplies at the start and got caught in the opening bloodbath," she replied after a moment's hesitation. "That's irrelevant though, you won't be doing that if you wish to survive."

Yuna nodded wondering if Paine had killed any other tributes in the opening bloodbath. She probably would've had to, Yuna had seen some of the bloodbaths and she knew how deadly they were. Panicked teens running for food and weapons, not knowing what to do despite their weeks of training and as soon as one drop of blood was spilled their instincts took over and they became animals. Their primeval sides were unleashed; they became aggressive, violent and did anything or took down anyone who got in the way of their one goal. Survival.

"Sponsors are going to be a key factor in your survival," Paine continued on, her voice bland yet firm. "That's why you need to appeal to the crowd, make them believe you're worth sponsoring, that you're capable of winning."

Yuna nodded in understanding. Of course the Capitol wouldn't sponsor someone incapable of winning the Games, that would be a loss of money and simply foolish, but could she really win the Games? Could she really kill another human being for her own survival? Could she ever live with herself if she did?

And then there was Tidus… her childhood friend and ally. They'd grown up together, did mostly everything together, they'd never fallen apart, only over little matters but Yuna would simply apologise straight away in fear of losing her best friend and life would go on. But now… they'd enter the games together, but only one would exit them. Which brought another thousand previously asked but never answered questions to her whirling mind. Would they work together? Would they turn their backs on one another? Would they watch the other die at the hands of another tribute? Would they both make it to the end? What would they do then?

"The games are three weeks away," Lulu remarked as she placed a bundle of fabrics in a chair and took the measuring tape from around her neck. "You needn't worry about them just yet, what you need to worry about is attracting sponsors."

"But I'm not sure how to do that exactly," Yuna replied timidly. What would make her stand out from the other tributes? She was just a priestess after all, Auron had taken the pleasure of making that clear.

"You need to drop the shy priestess attitude," Lulu intoned, signalling for Yuna to stand on the platform to be measured, which Yuna obeyed to, unmoving as Lulu wrapped the tape around her hips, "I know that you may have been taught to be loyal and obedient by the priests in the Temple but they are not here to scold you right now and changing your attitude may just save your life in the Games."

"I'll try," Yuna responded with a slight nod feeling determination set in her heart. She looked to her mentor who was observing silently and could've sworn she saw… did approval just flash in Paine's eyes?

"Your new look will help you and so will the entrance you make in the parade," Lulu explained measuring her height now. "The crowd will be cheering for you so make sure to acknowledge them and smile, do not be shy, they do not want to see cute shy priestesses they want confident warriors who are proud of their sector."

"So confident and proud then," Yuna stated with another determined nod of her head.

"But not cocky," Paine warned, "don't become like Porcupine back there."

Yuna couldn't help but let out a small giggle as she remembered the man's antics with Paine. "I'll try," she repeated with a bit more light-heartedness.

"We also have to design the entrance and carriage," Lulu pondered to herself aloud as she finished Yuna's measurements. She briskly walked over to a massive book filled with different scraps of material and started to examine each shade against the young summoner's skin tone. She looked back over to Paine as she questioned, "we might do what we did for your entrance in the parade. What do you think?"

"What did you do?" Yuna asked curiously before Paine could answer.

"We used the element most connected to your home," Lulu answered as a blue piece of cloth was examined by her skin. "For instance we used fire for Paine's entrance."

"Oh! You must be from Kilika then," Yuna concluded, she knew Paine was Sector Ten's previous victor a few years back so she must've been from Kilika because Yuna would've remembered seeing the goth around Besaid.

Lulu glanced at Paine who gave the older woman a warning look though Yuna could not decipher its meaning. The older woman gave a small nod of understanding to the warrior who relaxed only slightly. The moment of tension passed quickly but Yuna saw every bit of it, leaving her confused as to why it occurred. "Yes, I'm from Kilika," Paine replied emotionlessly.

"She is the 'Mystic Mage of Fire'," Lulu said with a wink and a mischievous smile. "At least that is what Zack called her."

"I thought it was 'Sunshine'," Yuna said trying not to catch the warrior's glare.

"That too," Lulu confirmed.

"Why does he call you a fire mage?" Yuna questioned. "I mean aren't you just a Kilikan?"

Yuna didn't think Paine was blushing because of the attention she was giving her but decided it was best not to point this out and simply listened to the warrior's answer. "My fire spells are more powerful than the others I know," Paine explained choosing her words carefully, "I only know some black magic but I've mastered all the fire spells easily. Lulu however is a skilled black mage, I'm not familiar with white magic but I know it's similar to black magic. I'm sure Lulu can lend you a book or help you with spells to give you confidence in the games."

Yuna felt a smile crawl across her face when Lulu gave her an affirming nod and a small smile of her own. With black magic, maybe she really did stand a chance in these games after all, she could defend with white and attack with black, even if she only learned one spell it would be enough.

"Enough about the games for now," Lulu cut in as she found the perfect shade of colour for Yuna. "If you want to change your attitude you are going to need a whole new look so that you do not come off as a priestess but a warrior."

"And the entrance?" Paine prompted emotionlessly though Yuna had to admit she did seem slightly less tense around the black mage.

"You did say you were from Besaid, correct?"

* * *

Butterflies. They were nice when they were out in the open, colourful and vibrant, flapping their delicate wings as they soared through flowers in spring, not in her stomach and threatening to bring her lunch back up.

They stood together, her and Tidus, on their carriage attached to two blue chocobos in the backstage area of the giant stadium. She could hear the crowd outside, whispering and gossiping, anticipating the arrival of the tributes. Yuna tried her best not to fiddle with her new outfit partly because she was nervous and partly because she was extremely exposed. She had become so used to her summoner's attire that she had never really showed off so much… skin. Her legs were exposed greatly; the black pleated mini skirt barely reached her mid-thigh. A large portion of her stomach was left visible as well, her top covered most of her back but around the front it came into a V-shape and was kept together by only a single button, allowing the bottom of the top to push to the sides, hugging her hips and leaving the milky flesh of her flat stomach exposed. Although she was thankful that the ruffles along the V-neck of the top covered most of her chest area and continued down to form a slightly uneven half-skirt that was layered and covered half of her exposed stomach. Her forearms were covered by a light blue fabric and black string criss-crossed on the top of her arms, nearly reaching her shoulders. Her whole outfit was a multitude of different blues, just like the sea. Lulu had used an old spell to make her hair grow right down to the ground and they'd cut most of it into a style much like her old one except more spikier and bouncy. The remaining hair that travelled her ankles was wrapped in a blue braid, tied with a cute ribbon at the end to allow the tips of her brown locks to brush against her plain beige boots that came up to her knees.

She had been amazed by the transformation but also slightly sad, not just because she was saying goodbye to the polite shy priestess side of her but because her outfit was practically identical to the one her twin used to wear, the only difference was the fact that Yuna's was various shades of sea blue and black rather than numerous tints of purple and lilac. She kept the necklace Rikku gave her clasped tightly around her neck, she refused to part with it and it gave her a sense of comfort.

It didn't seem to be working at the moment.

Although Paine and Lulu had told her everything that was going to happen, what she should do and they even showed her the other reapings, allowing her to get a glimpse of the other tributes, she still felt nervous when one walked by and looked at her. She forced herself to stare right back at them, forced herself not to be the weak, little summoner she truly was, forced herself into her new persona, but it was so hard. She had nearly cringed when a tribute dressed as a clown grinned in a viscous manner at her or at the steely gaze of a blonde haired man with a red scar running down from above his left eyebrow across his nose and finishing below his right eye.

But they were nothing compared to the mako eyes.

Yuna hadn't seen him straight away; she had been looking at a girl with long black hair, deep brown eyes and a fancy crystal necklace hanging on a long chain around her neck. But she had that prickling feeling on her neck as her hair stood on end and knew someone was staring at her. Her eyes instantly found his as mako clashed with blue and green. She had been paralysed on the spot, not knowing how long he had been staring at her nor caring. She had simply memorised his angelic appearance, spiky fair hair, a pale crystal-like complexion, soft lips and a strong jaw. His body was hidden under his black shiny armour, but Yuna knew he must have been toned to be a part of SOLDIER. He almost looked like a fallen angel, beautiful and magnificent yet tainted by the armour of a dark knight.

Her breath caught in her throat as those enchanting eyes seemed to penetrate the barriers of her heart and peer into her soul. Neither broke the eye contact as he kept walking past and Yuna used that to try and read his expression, but he was like Paine; a closed book. Calm and neutral like a still lake on the cold winter night of a full moon. His eyes betrayed no emotion either and Yuna felt her expression change from one of shock to determination as she tried to find something in their turquoise depths. He must've seen the change as he stared into her own bi-coloured eyes as his eyes seemed to smile slightly, just the slight crinkling of the skin in their corners gave it away, though his lips did not move from their stoic expression. Yuna had no clue if the smile was one of arrogance or amusement but she did know that as soon as he turned around and broke the connection, her heart had sank slightly and her confusion had risen dramatically.

Even now, staring at the other tributes around her as they filed into their carriages, she searched for his eyes but found nothing, so she returned to picking at her dress nervously. The fabric began to fray slightly beneath her fingertips but she didn't notice nor did she stop until a warm firm hand closed around her own.

She looked up in surprise at the sudden contact and found worried oceanic eyes staring at her. His eyes seemed to comfort her slightly, she was so used to finding solace in those beautiful eyes, they weren't sharp and accurate; they were soft and gentle like the sea at Besaid as the sun rose early in the morning.

"You're going to ruin your dress if you keep picking at it," Tidus teased cheerfully while gently pulling her hand away from her dress slightly.

"I know… I'm just really nervous," she admitted sheepishly. "I mean… what if I forget to wave? Or what if my hair comes undone?" she gasped and stared at him with horrified eyes. "What if I fall off the carriage and my skirt goes up and then-?"

"Yuna…" Tidus interrupted softly while giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "None of that's going to happen because I'll be with you the whole time, besides you look beautiful so have a bit of confidence because I haven't seen another tribute look as amazing as you do tonight."

Yuna felt a genuine smile cross her face as her heart warmed with his compliments. She knew it wasn't Ifrit awakening within her soul, this was a different kind of warmth, not from fire but from… well, she didn't really know, but it felt nice.

"Thanks, Tidus," she smiled up at him. "You always know how to make me feel better."

"Hey, that's what I'm here for," he grinned down at her. Sometimes she hated how she had to look up to him, it made her feel self-conscious about her small size. She thought the heels of her boots would give her some extra height but no such luck. Tidus' outfit was similar to hers except with a lot less ruffles. It looked like his usual blitzball uniform except the colours matched her current outfit and rather than being smooth and bouncy like his old one, the new one was slightly torn and rough-looking, but still suited him nonetheless.

"Are you ready?" Auron questioned from beside them. Yuna tried to hide her nervousness once more, not wanting to show any emotion other than bravery and confidence in front of her least favourite mentor. She and Tidus both nodded in response as she squeezed his hand for comfort once again.

Lulu appeared beside Auron in her usual attire, Yuna presumed both were going to stay backstage. "Right, you know what to do," she told them firmness dominating her voice. "Smile, wave, look strong and confident, but not over-cocky. Yuna; no shyness and no quiet priestess. Tidus; no cheerful blitzer, you are a brave warrior as of now. Got it?" When both tributes nodded she let out a tired sigh of relief. "Ok and remember do not flinch when I do my part backstage; it will ruin the act and – where's Paine?" she cut her rant short as she looked to Auron in question.

Yuna's male mentor gave a careless shrug of his shoulder in answer and Tidus copied his action while adding a grunt of confusion. Yuna however spoke up, "she's coming, just give her a minute."

"But-" Lulu silenced herself once more as Yuna pointed into the crowd with a big grin on her face at the sight of her second mentor making her way through the crowd. Yuna hadn't recognised her at first, partly because of the fact that she wasn't wearing black and partly because she had a giant bird resting on her arm. Paine's shoes weren't visible under her long skirt which was made up of different fabrics of blue and purple sown together with blue belts criss-crossing the front of the skirt. A corset-like of dark purple and cream colours covered her usually exposed stomach yet allowing a bit of skin to show. Numerous leather straps connected across her chest area and held the corset up. Brown gloves ran up to above her elbows and a red collar sat tightly on her neck just above her trademark barbed wire necklace. Her hair was in its usual style but as she came closer Yuna could see she had actually put on a small amount of eyeliner.

Yuna was smiling proudly at her mentor – how ironic – and the other three were simply gaping at the usually gothic warrior.

"You're all going to catch flies if you don't close your mouths," she greeted them emotionlessly yet stroking the bird gently on her shoulder.

"What's with the bird?" Tidus questioned as he eyed the strange creature. Its blue, black and orange feathers seemed to shine in the false light and its dark eyes showed undeniable loyalty to its master.

"Yes, can't you take the vile creature away from here?" Shelinda's snarky voice sounded from behind Auron. Five pairs of eyes rolled themselves beneath closed lids as the priestess gave Paine another weak glare. "No doubt it's the evil product of hell's fire as-"

"Ifrit was born of hell's fire and yet you worship him," Paine interrupted with no interest in her voice whatsoever. She turned to Lulu and gave her the same look she had given her when they had been discussing Kilika. "The bird simply came with the outfit."

"Dressphere?" Lulu questioned as she suddenly took interest in Paine's outfit, circling the stoic woman and staring at every piece of fabric with calculating eyes.

Paine gave a slight nod of her head in response. "Trainer dressphere. Came from Shinra today," she stated before turning her head to the bird. "Flurry, give me eyes in the sky." With that 'Flurry', Yuna presumed was the name of the strange creature, took off and disappeared through the exit and into the open sky of the stadium.

"Why are you so dressed up?" Shelinda asked as she turned her fake nose upwards for good measure.

Somehow Yuna knew the tinge of red on Paine's cheeks was not make-up and the way the warrior's eyes were beginning to glower at the smug priestess showed that she had not come up with a believable lie to cover up the true answer.

"Do we really need a reason to dress up tonight, Shelinda?" Yuna asked allowing a challenging tone to enter her voice as she gave the priestess her own discrete glare. "I think Paine looks beautiful in a dress, don't you agree?"

Shelinda looked positively shocked which Tidus mirrored perfectly, Auron looked mildly amused whereas Paine and Lulu simply quirked their delicate eyebrows in mild surprise. However the person who answered her was the last person she expected too.

"Well, I have to say that I fully agree with you," everyone turned around at the voice, only to find Zack holding another rose in front of Paine, this time red, with a huge grin plastered across his face. "You know… when I said to wear a dress I didn't think you'd actually do it."

Paine took the rose, more enthusiastically than the last time but not by much, yet her eyes crinkled at the corners slightly with joy when she saw the red shade adorning Shelinda's face. "Surprising people is a gift of mine," she deadpanned but Yuna could see a slight bit of glee shine in her crimson eyes.

"Well, hate to rush but we better go to our seats," Zack announced as he wound his arm around Paine's waist, pulling her closer and making Shelinda turn even more red with fury. "You ladies look lovely tonight and good luck out there Yuna," his gaze fell on the seething priestess, "maybe you should take a walk outside, Shelly. Your face is beat red." At this Paine's lips actually quirked upwards at the corners and Yuna couldn't help but give her mentor a huge grin and a 'thumbs up' as Zack whisked her away like a fairy tale prince.

All eyes turned to her. "Did I miss something?" Auron questioned in his deep voice.

Yuna began to answer but Lulu cut her off briskly. "Discuss it later. The parade's about to start, you know what to do and remember do not flinch." A slender finger with a long purple nail pointed threateningly at them before their carriage of sea shells and ocean colours began to move.

Yuna clung onto the railing and Tidus' hand even harder as her nerves skyrocketed. Her breathing became more uneven and goose bumps covered her bare arms. Tidus whispered soothing words to her as each sector was announced and their carriage took off across the stadium. Her palms became sweaty and clammy as Sector Nine's carriage took off before them. The two tributes didn't look more than fourteen years old; one a girl with long black hair tied into a loose pony tail at the bottom and the other a boy with long sandy blonde hair and… was that a _tail?_

"And now Sector Ten's tributes!"

The chocobos lurched forward suddenly, speeding out onto the round tracks of the stadium. Yuna silently thanked Isaaru for the many hours of maintaining her good posture and balance as she managed to stay upright on the carriage. Blinding lights and smiling faces entered her vision as the carriage sped through the open stadium. She could feel her long braid and uneven skirts blow behind her in the wind, but she didn't care. Her nervousness washed away like the waves washing away footprints in the sand as she raised a delicate hand to wave and smile at the cheering crowd.

That's when Lulu must've turned on the waterworks.

A shocked gasp ran through the giant crowd as waves full of water exploded from behind them and rose into the air they left in their tracks like a show of liquid fireworks. Neither flinched as the enormous splashes continued and Yuna waited just as Lulu had told her before muttering 'nultide' under her breath as four glowing blue orbs surrounded the two tributes. She and Tidus grinned at one another before interlocking their fingers and raising the joint hands high in the air between them as fountains of water exploded on either side of them. The crowd cheered louder and Yuna couldn't help but let her smile turn to a grin of confidence as each fountain of water spurted up in sync with their moving carriage.

Roses, hats even coats were thrown at them, but Yuna didn't mind, she discovered she actually loved the attention even though she knew the other tributes were getting just as much. Her smile faltered however when all the carriages stopped before the podium where the president stood, basking in all his glory at the crowd's adoration. She felt ice prickle at her heart in cold fury and knew that Shiva, the aeon of cold diamonds, shared her hatred towards the Capitol.

"Welcome tributes," President Sephiroth announced as he held his hands up to the crowd. "I commend your bravery and sacrifice for participating in our Seventy-fourth Fantasy Games. You all look spectacular tonight. I wish you all Happy Fantasy Games…" Yuna knew what was coming next and she just couldn't stop the crawling sensation that tore through her skin, "and may the odds be ever in your favour."

Time passed quickly after that. Yuna couldn't stop glaring at Sephiroth as he gave his speech to the adoring audience. He could stop this madness at any time he wanted, he could save young teenagers from an early and gruesome death. He could've saved her parents and he could've cancelled the games long ago and then Lenne might still be alive…

She had felt tears sting the back of her eyes then, but had pushed them aside forcefully, partially not to ruin her make-up and partially not to show weakness in front of the other tributes. For some reason she had caught herself staring at the tribute from the Capitol, the SOLDIER with the chocobo hair. He had stood tall in dark black armour that resembled what a knight might wear. The girl at his side looked around her age and had beautiful long brown hair tied into a plait and secured with a white ribbon. She had worn pure white armour except hers was smooth and curvy rather than rough and spiky like the man beside her.

Yuna didn't know why her heart had suddenly lurched at the sight of the two together at the time but she had ignored the stupid organ and focused on glaring at Sephiroth. She shouldn't care about any of the other tributes, she shouldn't feel jealous or anything towards anyone else in the Games.

Except she did.

It was killing her inside to know that she had no other choice but to either watch them die or deliver them to death's door herself. She kept reminding herself that she had made a promise to her cousin, in order to deliver hope to her family that the spiral could be broken, but that didn't wipe away the fact that her competition was simply teenagers. Human beings who were going to face their brutal deaths within a few weeks and there was nothing she could do about it. She might even be meeting her own death there too.

* * *

"I know it's hard, but just try to act cheerful when you're being interviewed," Lulu had said to her once they had fixed her dress up and the black mage had made sure that Yuna's 'nultide' spell had kept them completely dry. "Remember this is all to help your survival, just be pleasant and polite and make the most of it because the only other time you're going to be able to attract sponsors by yourself is the final judgement at the end of your training."

Yuna had only got to nod to the black mage before she and Tidus were whisked away and led to seats behind the other tributes as they waited to be interviewed by the Games' talk show host. Paine had also told her to use this as an opportunity to learn more about the other tributes.

She had tried to pay attention but a certain blonde haired tribute with sparkling mako eyes kept stealing her attention unconsciously. Yuna felt herself anticipating his interview and when he did take his seat next to the lively talk show host, Yuna had to force herself not to lean forward with interest.

The host with fiery red hair and turquoise eyes – Yuna was pretty sure his name was Reno – shook the tribute's hand, addressing him as Cloud, Yuna couldn't help but smile at the strange name, and took a seat opposite him. As the interview went on Yuna discovered Reno and Cloud were polar opposites, Reno was lively and spontaneous and acted slightly drunk while maintaining a sly arrogant demeanour whereas Cloud was stoic, serious and only answered the man with one liners or a simple movement of his head. Even so Yuna could practically see the aura of confidence surrounding the SOLDIER and couldn't help but want to know more about the blonde warrior. He didn't say much at all, he gave nothing away and Yuna found herself growing frustrated with his behaviour. When the interview finally ended, Yuna had absolutely no information on the mysterious SOLDIER.

The rest of the interviews passed quickly, Sector Eight's female tribute was extremely sweet and beautiful with her long dark hair and big brown eyes, Yuna learned her name to be Rinoa Heartilly. The male tribute, Zack had said he was a gunblade wielder, looked pretty aggressive with his cocky smirk and roughly cut blonde hair. Yuna felt her heart go out to the two young tributes from Sector Nine, she remembered their names, Garnet and Zidane, they were only thirteen and fourteen, barely teenagers and yet were about to fight for their lives in less than a month.

Tidus went up before her for the Sector Ten interview. He was so charming, cracking jokes with Reno and smiling at the crowd who loved him. How was she supposed to compare to him? What could she joke about? Her life was so serious with her severe training to be a summoner and making sure her family got food and nothing happened to Rikku…

"And now, Sector Ten's female tribute, Yuna Suuhmekrd! But I'm sure you know her better as the Water Maiden!" Reno announced as Yuna made her way to shake hands with the red-head. It was then she noticed the two tattoos under his eyes. She sat down, staring in wonder at the huge crowd before her before Reno's smooth voice brought her attention back to him.

"Well Yuna, when I first saw your second name I nearly had a heart attack, it took me twenty minutes to get it right," he said in a casual manner and giving her a sly smile.

Yuna put on her best false smile and kept her voice upbeat and as confident as she could manage. "You're not the only one, it's Al Bhed. It means 'moonlight' in English."

"Ah… so you speak Al Bhed?" At Yuna's slight nod of confirmation his grin grew. "Well, go on! Give us a line or two."

Yuna made her smile grow slightly as her Al Bhed accent rolled off her tongue, just as Rikku had taught her. "E muja oui'n ryen, ed nasehtc sa uv dra adanhym vmysa eh Gemegy."

Reno gave a surprised look to the audience before turning back to her with a grin. "Very nice, what did you say?"

"I said, 'I like your hair, it reminds me of the eternal flame in Kilika,'" she replied blushing slightly.

Reno gave off a short laugh and the crowd followed suit, though Yuna didn't really think it was that funny. "You're too sweet, though I'm glad someone likes it," his face suddenly became more serious and Yuna let her smile fade just a small bit into the smallest quirk of her lips. "Anyway, down to business… a little bird told me you're Sector Ten's very first volunteer."

"That's correct," Yuna confirmed with a small nod of her head.

"Now the question on everyone's minds right now is probably why did you do it?" Reno questioned while leaning forward in his seat and studying her intently.

"I…" she trailed off looking out to the crowd briefly before turning to look back at Reno, "I did it to save my cousin," she replied softly, her slender fingers finding their way to the silver pendant around her neck. "She was reaped for the games and I volunteered to go in her place."

Reno's facial features softened slightly and a collective chorus of sad sounds came from the crowd. "She must really mean a lot to you for you to sacrifice so much for her," Reno's voice had become slightly softer but still loud enough for the crowd to hear him.

"She's like a sister to me…" she felt her voice begin to crack but she forced it to stay strong, she wasn't a weak priestess anymore as of now, she was a survivor. "She didn't want me to go but it was better for me to come than her."

"Did you get to see her before you left?" Reno asked curiously, trying to feed the crowd the gossip they wanted to here. At Yuna's confirming nod he pressed on. "What did you say to her?"

Yuna looked down into her lap afraid he'd see the sorrow in her eyes as she recalled her distraught cousin. "I told her… no…" she looked up at Reno with determined bi-coloured eyes as her voice became firm and confident. "I promised her, I'd survive. I promised her that I'd win and bring hope home to our family."

Reno smirked at her before standing up to the audience, Yuna followed suit as he gestured towards her with a certain sparkle in his turquoise eyes. "Ladies and gentlemen, Yuna Moonlight, the Water Maiden!"

Yuna was about to return to her seat before Reno grabbed her upper arm and lowered his voice so only Yuna could hear him. "You look like a person who keeps their promises."

She nodded once, determination set in her voice. "I don't plan to start breaking them now."


	6. New Weapon, New Ally, New Enemy

**A/N: Right, here's the next chapter and I promise that Yuna and Tidus and Cloud (PS, I love him!) will be entering the Fantasy Games within the next two chapters, I know it's taking a while but I just felt I needed to explain things in detail because I'm just like that!**

**Also a big thank you to both Irish-Brigid and Willow Quinn for their reviews, you're amazing! And hope you all like the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or the Hunger Games (But if I did, there would so be a Dissidia 011 by now!)**

Chapter 6: New Weapon, New Ally, New Enemy

To say that the three weeks, which would probably be her last three weeks of living in civilisation, flew by would be an understatement. Yuna didn't know where the time went to but she did know that she had worked harder than ever before in those few weeks. Not even Isaaru's long training sessions consisting of patience, fierce concentration and both mental and physical balance could match it.

Each day was more or less the same, that's probably why they all blurred together and went by so quickly. She spent her mornings and afternoons in the training centre where all the tributes trained together. Paine had suggested trying some new things such as using daggers or a bow and arrow, something light and easy to manoeuver since she wasn't exactly the strongest tribute. Yuna had been nervous on the first day, she didn't like training in public for fear of what the other tributes would think of her. However Tidus had never left her side and that had managed to calm her nerves down as well as the familiar feel of her aeons stirring within her soul. At least she knew that they hadn't _completely_ given up on her.

No weapon had really taken her fancy at the start, broadswords were out of the question, she couldn't shoot an arrow to save her life, she kept cutting herself with the revolving daggers and she couldn't get a good grip on the spear or lance or whatever you called those pointy things. Sector Four's male tribute seemed to like them. He spun the weapon with such strength and elegance, long blonde hair whipping as he tore apart a dummy and eyes burning with hidden fury, the fury of a dragoon. Yuna had simply walked away from the lances after watching him for a few minutes, there was no way she could do that.

She knew she had probably looked like a lost soul, roaming around the training centre and heaving sighs of impatience. Paine had insisted that none of the other tributes know their strengths so Tidus was banned from sparring with a sword and Yuna was banned from practising any magic and summoning so she was at a loss of what to do. Tidus had busied himself by practising setting up traps and refreshing his knowledge of plants and fiends but Yuna knew most of that from hunting with him, so she had continued her search.

She had finally found something that suited her at the end of the first day. Guns. Small hand pistols that were light, easily stored in her back pocket, quickly reloaded and efficient to aim with. She trained mostly with them through the three weeks, though she did practise her climbing and also focused on getting her fitness up. She had figured she'd be doing a lot of running and scaling trees when she got into the games and since she didn't have much strength she'd need speed to make up for that loss.

Evenings were spent on private training with either Paine or Lulu, sometimes both. Even though Lulu was technically her make-up artist and stylist but Yuna had to admit she knew her stuff about magic and gladly accepted her help. Lulu would lend her books of black magic and talk her through some of the basic spells. They had mainly focused on water spells as she seemed to be able to control them better and they also reminded her of her home. One or two evenings Lulu and Paine had insisted that she take a break so they either chatted and joked about small things in life and helped Yuna forget about the games for a bit or they snuck out of the hotel and showed Yuna a bit more of the Capitol and its people.

Evenings spent with Paine were challenging for Yuna. Though Paine was a very patient woman and didn't seem to mind going through things with Yuna more than once, Yuna still struggled slightly. Most of the other tributes would be wielding swords so her mentor had decided to show her the basic movements of the sword and how to protect herself from them. After a small amount of explaining, Paine would unsheathe her sword and come at Yuna mercilessly; forcing Yuna to cast white magic spells to protect herself and using black magic to attack the oncoming warrior.

The first few times Yuna had been beaten within a few seconds, but then Paine had calmly explained how she should block and dodge and even counter-attack. The warrior had even gotten her a pair of guns and showed her how to block a sword with them and how to fire while running and jumping. A couple of evenings Paine had given Yuna a staff to summon so that she didn't get rusty. She had been so happy to perform the familiar movements and command her aeons again. She had tried to summon two or more but had fainted after managing to summon two at the one time. She'd woken up half an hour later to a slightly worried mentor holding an ice-pack and throwing cold water on her face. Paine had suggested trying to summon without a staff but she couldn't manage to do it. No matter how hard she tried she just needed a staff, and a powerful one at that, to call forth her aeons. She needed something to channel the magic so that the aeons materialised and her body just wasn't powerful enough – magic-wise – so she'd need a staff.

Some evenings were spent rehearsing tactics or talking about the other tributes, going over their strengths and favoured weapons and trying to pinpoint a weakness. Yuna had discreetly tried to get more information from Paine about Cloud but she knew little about the SOLDIER too. Zack was Cloud's mentor so she couldn't tell the summoner much – except to steer clear of the boy. If he was a part of SOLDIER then he was dangerous and deadly.

Auron had concentrated fully on Tidus and often ignored her but Yuna didn't mind, though it frustrated her sometimes that he thought so little of her, she still had Lulu and Paine. She had grown close to the two gothic women and got along well with them. They had almost become like protective older sisters to her, like guardians. Paine had started to show more emotion around her, giving the odd smirk or look of approval in her crimson eyes, she even laughed with her and Lulu sometimes.

Her nights were spent either conversing with her best friend or reading through spell books Lulu had given her. Tidus would often sneak into her room in the middle of the night and they'd chat about anything but the games for a few hours. They'd recall funny memories from Besaid or tell old legends or talk about all their friends and family – Tidus complaining about Jecht's terrible language and bad drinking habits and Yuna giggling about Brother, Cid and Rikku's antics along with their long arguments in Al Bhed.

Shelinda would go on and on about their schedule and manners and complain about Paine's un-holiness, which Yuna didn't really understand but said nothing about it. The priestess would also go on about sponsors and publicity but Yuna had confidence in Paine to get her sponsors, even if the public were slightly weary of the gothic warrior.

Everything had been going smoothly, quickly and efficiently except for that one day at training. Looking back on it, she didn't know how it happened really and was still mesmerised about the whole event, but she knew it happened and she was happy it had.

She had been practising with her guns when she heard a girl cry out from behind her. The atmosphere in the room had grown tense and still as everyone had stopped what they were doing in order to get a glimpse of the drama that was unfolding in the training centre.

The girl from Sector Eight – Rinoa – was on the ground, on her knees while Sector One's tribute – Garland – was above her with his huge sword pointing threateningly at the whimpering girl. He had been demanding something – Yuna couldn't remember what it was exactly – she had been too horrified at the look of fear on the Rinoa's face. The other tributes had done nothing but watched as he harassed the girl and Yuna had been surprised that even the peacekeepers – better known as the Turks – did nothing to stop it. Not even Rinoa's partner, Seifer, had done anything to help his fellow tribute.

"Let's give that pretty face a scar to match your partner's," Garland had mocked as he raised his huge sword above the crying girl who did nothing to defend herself. She only looked to the motionless Turks for help but they did nothing so she had simply closed her eyes and resigned her face to its hideous fate.

That fate never came though as a deafening noise ran through the silent training centre as metal clashed with metal and evil yellow eyes met blue and green in a death glare. Yuna didn't know how she had gotten in front of Rinoa so fast or how she had managed to perfect Paine's trick of using her guns in an 'X' shape to block swords but she hadn't really cared at the time. The fact that she had managed to hold up his sword amazed her and probably everyone else present in that room. Perhaps Garland hadn't been using all his strength or maybe it was due to the adrenaline coursing through her veins, either way it was still impressive for someone as petite as her. The centre had remained silent except for a few gasps. That is until Garland spoke up in his rough voice.

"Stand down _priestess_," he had spat the word as if it tasted foul in his mouth. "This is not your fight."

"I'm not a priestess anymore," she had replied through gritted teeth as she felt the warrior put more pressure on the sword.

"So then, what are you?" he had mocked her placing more pressure on the sword so that her knees began to tremble slightly. "A warrior?"

"No," her voice had remained strong, thank Yevon, and using Paine's technique by shifting her guns and jerking her arms to the right, she broke the contact and stood to her full height, however small that was, staring him right in the eyes. She had hoped this is what Paine had meant by confidence. "You'll just have to find out in the games."

She had then turned her back on him, almost defiantly and held out a hand to Rinoa whose tear-laden eyes now had a spark of hope in them. Yuna gave her a small understanding smile, dropping her glare and allowing her expression to soften as if to comfort the girl. At least she had stopped crying.

"You should never turn your back on your enemies," Garland's voice had sounded through the centre as she helped the other tribute up.

"Wrong," she called back over her shoulder, her voice keeping its hard edge as she escorted Rinoa to the bathroom to get her fixed up. "You should never turn your back on enemies you fear." With that, the doors had swung closed behind them and Garland's snort of indignation landed on deaf ears.

After helping Rinoa dry her tears and clean her tear-streaked face, she had been escorted back to her room by one of the Turks – his badge had said that his name was Rude but maybe that had simply been a joke – because she had 'caused trouble' and was not permitted to train for the rest of the day. Shelinda and Auron had both been furious with her, saying that she didn't need to be making enemies as she had enough on her plate and that Garland would be extremely hard to best in the games. Paine, ever the protective mentor, had backed her up by saying she had made an ally and that the other tributes would view her as determined and would want to be allies with her too. Shelinda had then gone from red as a tomato to purple as a plum as she began to argue with Paine about how she didn't need a reputation like hers. Yuna had snuck off to her room after Paine had discreetly given her a look that said 'get out while you can'. She had spent the rest of that day going over spells and tribute information.

* * *

The day of the exams had finally come and her pinkie nail had taken the brunt of her nervous attack with her vicious chewing. Tidus repeatedly tried to take her hand away but gave up after the sixth time; there wasn't much of her nail left anyway, what more damage could she do? They were both dressed in skin-tight black clothes, like the other tributes, that covered nearly every inch of their bodies apart from their feet, hands and neck. Yuna still had her hair in her long braid, except the material was red now; she couldn't bear to cut it. She'd always wanted long hair like Lenne…

They were all sitting in a large lounging area, waiting for their number to be called for examination and then they were allowed to return to their rooms. Paine and Auron had gone through all the plans with them and had given them advice on what to do. Shelinda had gone on about politeness and manners but Yuna couldn't remember much of that now, although Paine's last words to her rang clearly through her head:

"_Show them everything you can do and show them well. But no matter what, make sure they remember you."_

She planned to show them everything, all her black magic and white magic and maybe one summon, she'd save that for last, it was her best trick. She wondered how many Turks would be judging her, Paine had told her as much as she could about the whole judging system and who played the most important roles. SOLDIERs were divided into three groups, going from third to first class, first class were the best and most deadly of them, they dealt with keeping order in other sectors, second class dealt with missions around the Capitol and third patrolled the streets. Next were the Turks, they weren't as strong as SOLDIERs but deadly nonetheless. They played their parts in the running of the games. They acted as peacekeepers between tributes, security guards, and controlled the technology in the games. Yuna had been surprised to hear that even Reno was a Turk, but played his part by interviewing contestants and commenting on the live games. At the head of the Turks was Rufus Shinra, he was the head game maker, the leader of the SOLDIERs too. Paine had described him as a ruthless man with a heart containing no mercy. Although he was dangerous and power-hungry his loyalty to the president of the Capitol was unmatched. Then, there was the one man who Yuna despised, who kept the whole senseless cycle of destruction going, who kept her families Spiral of Death continuing; Sephiroth.

Yuna felt her hands unconsciously curl and tighten into fists, making her nails dig into the soft fair skin of her hand and drawing blood, but she didn't care. She barely felt it at all, she didn't want to feel anything, she didn't want to feel guilt or mercy or remorse maybe then she'd be able to win the games easily. But as much as she didn't want to feel anything, she also never wanted to be so empty, so emotionless, so… inhuman. That's what made her a human being, wasn't it? Caring for other human beings and having emotions? But was that not the one thing that made her weak? Wouldn't that be the one thing that would stop her from winning the games?

The sight of blonde spikes instantly caught her attention across the room and a warm sensation spread through her heart, instantly wiping away her depressing thoughts and easing her mind. She found herself studying the features of his angelic face, the sharp curve of his chin and the high cheekbones. She wanted him to raise those beautiful eyes to meet hers so that she could revel in their mystery and depth but she didn't want them to rise either, for fear he'd catch her staring.

Why did he have such an effect on her? Why did he make her feel so good even though she'd never once talked to him or even came within five metres of him? She felt as though she'd shared a thousand words with him yet none at all at the same time. She tried to fight the urge within her to learn more about the tribute as she tore her gaze away from his face and studied her lap intently. She shouldn't be feeling this way about another tribute, she didn't even know him for Yevon's sake!

So why did she?

A Turk came out from behind the double doors of the examination room and called out for Sector One's male tribute. Garland stood up, his eyes sending her a smug threatening look as he strode past her. Yuna sent him her own glare, hoping he could see the challenge in her eyes as her slender brows slanted downwards in determination. She had long forgotten Shelinda's lengthy lecture about manners and harassing other tributes. Tidus placed a warning yet comforting hand on her shoulder, she didn't know whether it was to reassure her or stop her from doing something rash. She tore her glare from Garland and softened her eyes instantly. She let out an indignant huff of defeat, crossing her arms over her chest stubbornly before sending Garland's back one last death glare, unaware that a pair of slightly amused mako eyes had watched the whole exchange.

"Yuna Moonlight."

Heart beginning to beat rapidly and beads of sweat beginning to gather in the palm of her hands, Yuna strode into the examination hall with as much confidence as she could muster. The hall was practically bear, apart from a few dummies and weapons that stood at the far end of the hall. The ceiling was quite high up and both the floor and walls were made of silver metal. It reminded Yuna of a prison.

A large square was cut from the right wall, exposing a small area where Rufus Shinra and his Turks sat, sipping wine and eyeing her with calculating eyes. Paine had said not to hesitate and to look them in the eye, to not show fear. Yuna hoped she had followed the warrior's advice well enough.

"Yuna Moonlight, Sector Ten's female tribute," she stated calmly, looking Rufus Shinra in his cold icy eyes. A few small mumbles resounded in response to her minor declaration.

Her hand instantly went for the staff, feeling the small rush of power course up her arms from the contact. At least it would perform well for summoning. Turning to the dummies with a determined expression and twisting her staff familiarly she set one alight with a simple fire spell. Two more exploded as the word 'watera' left her lips in a slight battle cry and bolts of lightning rained down on another one as she shouted 'thunder', flicking her staff expertly with each spell.

Cheers resounded from her right and she felt a smile grow on her lips as she turned to face the judges, but it instantly faded as she saw a massive feast being laid before the snobbish spectators. Their gazes had left her long ago and were focused on the piping hot meals in front of them.

Yuna felt a fire rage in her heart as her brows slanted downwards in an expression of anger and determination. A deafening roar echoed through the fabrics of her soul, demanding to be unleashed, demanding her to abuse the true power of hell. At that moment, she had no problem with giving into the commands.

Loosely holding the staff out in front of her and facing the ravenous Turks, she began to twirl it expertly, fire spurting from the edges to join as one ball of flame in the centre. Her breathing remained steady and strong as the ball of flame dropped to the ground in front of her. The fire licked the floor greedily as it expanded outwards, forming an 'X' in the centre of a fiery circle and a glyph glowed on the floor. She forced herself not to crouch down, but to remain standing tall as the ground beneath her feet cracked and rose, exposing her aeon born of hell's fire.

She could see the awe and terror in the Turks' faces as Ifrit roared and broke free of its bindings, catching Yuna on its shoulder in a protective gesture as it landed with a large thump on the ground. Each plate of hot food and glass of rich wine exploded in firestorms as Ifrit stamped its large claw into the metal and roared with the fury of a thousand demons. All the Turks flinched at once, dropping the hot cutlery and staring at the beast with shock and horror written across their faces. Yuna felt like smirking but kept her firm expression, staff held commandingly in one hand.

"I may be just another tribute to you, but that doesn't mean you don't have to show me some respect," she spat venomously, looking straight at a furious yet scared Rufus Shinra.

Turning to her aeon with a wave of her staff in the direction of the remaining twenty dummies, she commanded decisively, "Ifrit, meteor strike!"

Ifrit reared its head back, sharp teeth glinting in the false light of the hall as a giant orb of red hot flames appeared in front of the beast. With a strong claw, it walloped the fire, sending it in the direction of the dummies and incinerating them all instantly, flames still lingering around the straw blackened corpses.

She gave Ifrit a gentle nod of her head, dismissing the wolf-like aeon and allowing it to retreat back into the depths of her soul. She gave the Turks a mocking bow, Paine's sarcastic demeanour rubbing off on her as she said, "thank you for your _precious_ time." With that she exited the hall briskly, dropping the staff on the rack as she went and leaving the fiery mess behind her.

* * *

"_You did what?!_"

Yuna had never seen Shelinda so furious, not even at Paine. She found herself unconsciously flinching at Shelinda's harsh tone, nervously picking at her fingernails – or what was left of them – and keeping her eyes cast downward, not willing to meet the priestess' accusing glare.

"You attacked the Turks?!" Shelinda shrieked incredulously, her shrill voice echoing down the empty corridor. Yuna wished they could return to the privacy of her room but the chubby woman wouldn't budge, she refused to move until Yuna had explained everything to her and even then she still continued to shout at her.

"You'll never get any sponsors now!" she continued on her rant. "You'll never survive the games; you'll either die from disease or starvation or be brutally killed by another tribute! In fact you may not even make it to the games at this stage; the Turks will order your execution for acting against the Capitol. Oh Yevon-"

"That's enough," Paine's voice cut through Shelinda's rant like a steel knife through butter Yuna spun around only to find her mentor standing protectively beside her, arms crossed and face as pale and emotionless as ever. "She did a good job," Paine turned to her, offering her a proud look, just the slight crinkling of the corner of her eyes and the relaxing of her shoulders as she laid a gloved hand on her shoulder. But Yuna knew what she meant; she'd spent enough time with her mentor to read her body language easily. "Well done. You should go get some dinner and relax for the rest of the evening; you have a big day tomorrow." Regret and sorrow shone in her crimson eyes as she said the last part.

Tomorrow? No… it couldn't be… _that_ day tomorrow. She still had so much more to learn, so much more black magic to practise and gunner skills to perfect. The games couldn't be starting tomorrow; she couldn't be saying goodbye to everything she knew tomorrow. That just wasn't possible…

"We aren't finished here," Shelinda cut in angrily, blocking Yuna's path to her door in the process. "You stay right where you are; we need to discuss this situation."

"What's there to discuss?" Paine questioned in a bored voice, crossing her arms and leaning back on her right leg.

"The fact that she just _attacked_ the Turks!" Shelinda fumed. Yuna wished she would keep her voice down, there was someone coming up the corridor and she didn't want them to hear of what she did.

"I told her to get them to remember her," Paine explained calmly but Yuna could see her put her full concentration into glaring at Shelinda and add an edge to her voice. "They'll hardly forget her after today."

"So you put her up to it!" the priestess exclaimed triumphantly. "I should've known you'd want to get her killed! She's a respected person in the temple and blessed in the holy art of summoning. I should've known, she summoned Ifrit and everything!" Fingers unconsciously crossed as Yuna hoped that they could continue this argument inside, the stranger was growing closer and she could see another silhouette down at the end of the corridor.

"Why would I want to kill her after spending three weeks training her to survive?" Paine replied with a sharp edge to her voice. "And if I had wanted her dead, she'd be long gone to the farplane."

"You bring death and destruction everywhere with you!" Shelinda accused dramatically, causing Yuna to flinch. "You just can't help it; it's in your nature to destroy. No wonder you're so emotionless, you can't feel anything but rage, fury and anger." She turned to Yuna, grabbing the summoner's shoulders in her meaty hands and holding on firmly. "Do you know why her eyes are red? Why she can't feel? Why her fire spells are so powerful? Why everyone wants her dead?"

Yuna gave a weak shake of her head, trying to pry herself from the priestess' death grip but she couldn't budge. She shot pleading eyes to Paine whose face remained blank yet eyes burned with anger.

"Shelinda that's enough," Paine's voice sounded dangerous even to Yuna's ears, it hid a deep warning or maybe it was a threat. "Let her go."

"She hasn't told you, has she?" Shelinda looked like a maniac to Yuna, eyes glinting in the moment and pampered plush lips twisted into a mad smile. Yuna looked to Paine for confirmation but the warrior's eyes did not meet hers. "She hasn't told you that she's an unholy, damned, disgusting, de-"

"Paine will tell me what it is you claim she is when she is ready," Yuna cut her off sharply. "For now, I see her as not only my mentor but my friend and a sister of sorts. I trust her completely and that means I trust her to tell me when she feels the time is right." Yuna shrugged the woman's large hands off of her shoulders with force and turned to Paine. "Shall we? Since this is my last hot dinner, I feel a batch of pancakes is in order."

Later that evening after both girls had discussed the examinations and Paine had assured her that the Turks would not kill her for her deeds, they couldn't. They wouldn't be able to find a tribute and train them for three weeks; the crowd wouldn't like the delay, so she'd be safe for the moment. This brought Yuna some relief, she remembered hearing stories of people who were brutally tortured and then executed for defying or rebelling against the Capitol, she didn't want to end up like them. They were sitting on the couch, with Auron, Tidus, Lulu and Shelinda anxiously waiting for the results of the examinations to come up on the screen. Shelinda looked bitter, Lulu looked excited, Auron looked tense, Tidus mirrored Yuna's worried expression and Paine… well she was just as emotionless as ever.

When Reno's face finally appeared on the screen, Yuna couldn't help but bite her bottom lip nervously and lean forward on the couch with interest. She just knew she'd get a low score, like a three or something, even after her summoning they'd probably be bitter over their burnt food and would score her lowly.

A gentle hand was laid on her shoulder and she looked to see Tidus giving her a small caring smile, one that allowed a small bit of comfort seep into her heart, but just a bit. She wouldn't be relaxed again until… would she ever be relaxed again? Maybe if she won the games and returned to Sector Ten, to her family, to her home…

"People of the Capitol! How's it going, yo?" Reno's charming voice sounded from the TV making her turn and look into those turquoise eyes. His bright red hair was nearly blinding against the dark background behind his desk. "We are here for another year of the Fantasy Games and something tells me this will be the most epic year yet! Ain't that right Rude?" he addressed the bald Turk beside him, who Yuna instantly recognised as the one who escorted her away for 'causing trouble'. The stoic man merely nodded with a grunt.

"Yeah, you're right man; let's get straight to the results!" Reno agreed with a joker's smile on his lips. "You know how it goes, yo. Tributes get marked out of thirteen, thirteen being the highest and one being the lowest. No zeros, we ain't that mean. Now, roll on the tributes!"

Reno continued to announce each tribute and their score while their image appeared on the screen. Garland came up first looking fierce and strong, with a ten circling him making Yuna's stomach clench. A ten? She'd be lucky to get half of that. She could simply picture Garland bellowing with amusement at her low score. Anger rose within her but she controlled it, concentrating on the remaining scores.

Sector 1's female tribute, Yuna was pretty sure her name was Sarah, got a five. Sector 2's male, Firion, got a nine and the girl with purple hair, Yuna remembered she always trained with a bow and arrow got an eight. Both of Sector Three's tributes scored a four and Sector Four's male tribute scored a nine while his partner with beautiful long blonde hair and a kind face scored an eight. Bartz from Sector Five scored a ten and his female companion scored a seven. The clown from Sector Six appeared on the screen grinning like a maniac with an eleven circling his body causing Yuna to gasp, he had to have scored the highest. His partner, the innocent-looking black mage, scored a nine.

Finally the face she had been dying to see came onto the screen, stoic yet determined, blonde spikes shining and eyes glowing eerily with well-hidden fury, with an eleven circling his toned form. Maybe Paine had been correct when she'd said that he was extremely dangerous, maybe she really should stay away from him.

But would she be able to?

His partner, the brunette with dazzling green eyes, appeared, hands clasped together as if she were praying and mouth curved into a perfect petite smile. A five circled her slim form and Yuna actually felt relieved when she faded from sight. Now why would that be?

Seifer, the jerk who wouldn't even stick up for his own partner, appeared with a ten circling around his body. His evil grin made her skin crawl but the sensation quickly faded when Rinoa appeared, a seven circling her own body. Yuna felt happy her friend had gotten a fair score, but that happiness faded when she realised she'd just referred to another tribute as a 'friend'. She couldn't have any friends in these games, not if she wanted to survive. She could only afford _allies_. But then Tidus…

The young boy with the monkey tail appeared, an eight encircling his own body and efficiently curving around the tail. Garnet appeared soon afterwards with a five encircling her own form, a look of determination sparkling in her dark eyes.

She felt Tidus tense beside her as he watched himself on the screen before them. Yuna had to admit, he looked so handsome with his bouncy blonde hair and sparkling oceanic eyes. His arms were crossed over his muscular chest and his usual grin adorned his tanned features. A nine circled his body and he heaved a deep sigh while she and the others congratulated him. But why did his sigh sound so disappointed?

"And now we have Sector Ten's female tribute, better known as the Water Maiden with…" Reno's voice trailed off and his face adorned a confused look. He looked to Rude and then somewhere to his right, probably backstage. "Is this right, yo?" he questioned holding up the sheet of paper to whoever laid out of the camera's view and Yuna's heart sank, it was so low he couldn't even believe they could be so mean to a tribute in the exams.

The red-head turned back to the screen, giving off an amused chuckle. "Jeez I didn't know the girl had it in her," he joked to Rude but raising his voice to the audience. "We have Sector Ten's female tribute scoring a twelve and topping all the other tributes!"

Yuna nearly fainted either from shock or joy as she watched herself come onto the screen, mismatched eyes determined and hands on hips in confidence as a twelve circled her hips. Tidus, ever the hyperactive teen, jumped up, dragging her with him as he shouted in joy, hands on her hips and lifting her up into the air in a twirl before giving her a bear-hug, disappointment gone in a flash.

"You did it!" he nearly deafened her as Paine patted her on the shoulder. When the startled summoner turned around she thought she was actually hallucinating because there was a full-blown smirk on the warrior's face, exposing her white pearly teeth. Lulu dragged her into a sisterly hug, a huge grin on her face as well and even Shelinda had lost her bitterness and joined in the celebration.

Auron finally came up to her, looking stern and stoic, until his own lips cracked into a grin. Yuna was so sure she was dreaming, she had the sudden urge to pinch herself but decided against it. She didn't want to ruin the moment. "You did well, kid," he said in his gruff voice. "I suppose I was wrong about you… I apologise."

A huge grin spread across her own face and she couldn't help but throw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Apology accepted," she breathed out happily not even caring that Auron had stiffened dramatically and didn't return the gesture. She expected no more from him anyway.

"Alright, alright," he shrugged her off uncomfortably but Yuna didn't mind, if she could maintain Isaaru's gaze and hug the un-huggable Auron then maybe there was a chance she could win the Fantasy Games. She'd done the impossible twice; why not try for a third?

"Come on," Shelinda broke apart the moment, "we're missing the rest of the results!"

They returned to their seats hastily just in time to see Sector Twelve's tribute gain a nine and the female retrieve a nine too. Sector Thirteen's male, a scary looking teen with dark spiky hair with piercing deep blue eyes whose arms were crossed over his chest as his expression remained stoic with an eleven encircling his form. The final tribute, Yuna guessed she was the l'cie, stood almost like Paine, a hand on one hip and leaning back on her right foot, pink hair shining and eyes alert with a deadly look in them. She didn't smile, just frowned as an eleven circled her thin waist too.

"Well, that's all, yo!" Reno cheered happily as he leant back in his swirly chair and propped his feet up on the table in a relaxed position. His companion merely raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as usual. "All you sponsors out there, get out your wallets because the Games begin tomorrow. Good luck to all you tributes, especially the ladies," here he gave a suggestive wink. "Happy fantasy Games and may the odds be ever in your favour, yo!"


	7. Into The Nothing

**A/N: Phew, finally got this chapter finished! I had written a whole different chapter but then decided that it was taking too long for them to enter the games so I came up with this. I hope the dialogue is written alright, I tried to make it as realistic as possible. Anyways just want to say that this chapter was inspired by Breaking Benjamin's song 'Into The Nothing'. I was listening to it and immediately thought of poor Yuna entering the games alongside Cloud. So hope you all enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy or the Hunger Games**

Chapter 7: Into the Nothing

Claustrophobia.

Yuna had never really experienced the fear until now. It was funny really, she'd spent so much time crammed in the side rooms of the Temple with at least ten other priests and she had never experienced the fear then. But now, as she was standing in the cold steel room and staring at the elevator shaped as a tube that would lead her to her doom, she felt extremely claustrophobic.

She fingered the material of her half-skirt with clammy hands as she waited in the tiny room. Lulu had designed a completely new outfit for her, a white halter neck with a pink hood and the Zanarkand Abes symbol across her chest area. Yuna had asked for something to remind her of her home, Tidus had always wanted to join the team and Yuna had promised to be at his every match. At least now she was showing that she would've kept her promise. Yellow armbands crossed over her biceps and dark boots with white lace came up to her knees. A blue and white rippling half skirt covered her left leg and was secured in a tight knot at the right hip while denim boy shorts lay underneath. Lulu had said the half-skirt was to resemble waves at the sea from Besaid, to remind her of her home and heritage. A small pouch hung on her left hip just in case she needed to carry some essentials. A small black band adorned her left wrist for support. Paine had informed her outfit was designed to be light and easy to manoeuvre in.

The sound of a metal door clicking open caught her attention and she whirled around only to find her childhood friend standing sheepishly in the doorway. He too wore his own blitzball attire with the Zanarkand Abes logo on the knee. He bore no cheerful smile to comfort her and his eyes shone with regret and sorrow and some other emotion but Yuna couldn't figure it out.

He opened his mouth to say something but Yuna didn't let him get a word out as she ran towards him and threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in the crook of his neck as if that would protect her from all the evil of the world. Strong arms wrapped around her and held her close as his own head leaned tenderly against her own. She felt so safe and secure in those few moments, held in his arms and breathing in his familiar scent of sea salt and aftershave. She swore to herself she'd never forget his scent or his laugh or his smile…

"This changes nothing between us," she whispered into his neck, tightening her grip on him. "You'll always be my best friend and I'll always love you, no matter what." Her voice began to crack as she felt tears gather in the corners of her eyes. "I refuse to fight you because I never could, do you remember?" She felt him nod and sniff slightly. Was he crying too? "When we'd fight I'd apologise right away, I'd always be able to find you on the beach kicking the life out of a blitzball and muttering curses about your dad."

Tidus gave off a strangled short laugh that had no humour to it. "I remember."

"Jecht used to say you were always such a 'cry baby' but I never believed that," she continued on allowing the tears to leak down her cheeks. "I never thought you were weak, you were always the strongest of the two of us, you always cheered me up and kept me going. Even when Lenne…" her heart wrenched at her twin's name, "even when she died, you were always there wiping away my tears, handing me napkins and whispering comforting words to me. I don't know if I ever thanked you for that."

"You did Yuna," he replied, his own masculine voice cracking. "You never stopped thanking me and I never minded. I always accepted I;, I always loved when you went into your cute grateful priestess mode."

She gave off her own strangled laugh but it even sounded dead to her own ears. "I don't know if I want to win these games and return home if it means you won't be there," she admitted in a low voice. "Home would never be the same without you there, no one to race chocobos with, no one to teach me blitzball, no one to imitate Isaaru when he's not around, no best friend to cheer me up…" She broke down into a fit of sobs, leaning fully into his arms as he gently rubbed her back and soothed her.

After five minutes of simply standing in one another's embrace, committing the feeling to memory as it may be the last time she ever got to hug her friend, he pulled away from her, holding onto her shoulders. She could see tears in his own eyes but he offered a small broken smile, only a shadow of his usual one. He brought his hand up to wipe away her tears. "Tears don't suit you," he said gently. "So don't cry, we'll figure all this out. It will all come together; I know it. But for now, dry your tears and become the fierce bad-tempered gunner the other tributes know you to be. When the games start run into the forest and don't look back, I'll find you. I promise."

"You've never broken one of your promises before," she responded as she used the heel of her hand to wipe her eyes.

"And this one will be no different," he leant down and kissed her forehead lightly before turning away and walking out the metal door. Yuna hoped that wouldn't be the last time she'd see his back, but then he had promised her they'd meet again, so it couldn't be, right?

She sniffed, clearing her nose and removing any evidence of tears. It was a good thing Lulu hadn't put any make-up on her, or else she'd be a mess. Paine had said it would simply be a distraction that she didn't need and Lulu had complied easily. She didn't feel like being all dressed up anyway, even if she was going to be on live television, she just wanted to wake up from this nightmare to see her cousin sleeping in the single bed next to her. She'd tell Rikku everything about the dream and the hyper teen would cheer her up. Then she'd go and invite Tidus over for breakfast because Jecht would probably still be recovering from his hangover. She'd tell Tidus all about it too and then he'd console her and then… and then…

"Are you ready?" a gruff voice questioned from the doorway breaking her from her happy fantasy and dragging her back to the cruel reality of life. Auron stood tall alongside Shelinda, slowly entering the room to stand in front of her.

"I don't think I'll ever be ready for this," Yuna admitted. "But I'm prepared."

She could've sworn she saw respect shine in Auron's eyes but dismissed it as wishful thinking. "If I know Paine, and I do because I was her mentor at one stage, I know that she trained you well. I wish you the best of luck."

"Thank you Auron," Yuna replied softly. "That means a lot."

Auron merely grunted in reply before exiting, leaving her alone with the chubby priestess. Shelinda looked slightly embarrassed and awkward, shifting from foot to foot and fidgeting with her fingers in front of her. Yuna waited patiently for the priestess to say something, not wanting to start the conversation because of the way the woman treated her mentor previously.

"I… I want to apologise for my behaviour yesterday," Shelinda started raising her chocolate eyes to meet Yuna's bi-coloured ones. "I was out of order and completely brash and rude."

Yuna studied her to see if she truly meant her apology. The priestess seemed sincere and Yuna didn't feel like rejecting her, this could very well be the last time she'd see her chubby manager. "I'll accept your apology," she began slowly, "if you apologise to Paine too and treat her nicely when I'm gone."

"But she's-" Shelinda began but Yuna cut her off with a stern look.

"She's a part of our team," Yuna reasoned. "We're counting on all of you to get us sponsors and to help us survive. Right now our lives are more important than you and Paine's differences."

Shelinda looked like she was going to object but surprisingly she closed her mouth and nodded once. "I'll try," she replied before looking up at Yuna again with tears in her eyes. "I'm going to miss you two while you're gone," her voice had begun to crack before she pulled Yuna into a firm hug, sniffing slightly. Yuna was actually quite surprised, though she and Shelinda got along ok, they had never been really close; Yuna hadn't thought they were anyway but she must've really meant something to the priestess for her to be crying so hard. She gently hugged her back, trying to keep back her own fresh tears. They broke apart soon afterwards, the priestess daintily dabbing at the corners of her eyes while Yuna simply wiping a stray tear from her cheek bone. The priestess gave a shaky nod of her head as silence descended upon the room and she departed briskly, her sobs echoing down the corridor.

Lulu appeared soon afterwards, beads in her hair clinking and leather belts rubbing off one another as she walked. Yuna was sure she was wearing heels because she could hear a 'click' with every step the black mage took. Upon entering she raised a dubious eyebrow.

"You made Shelinda cry?" she questioned and gave an amused smirk. "Paine would be so proud of you."

Yuna allowed a small smile to creep onto her face at the woman's comment , which turned into a smile of gratitude. "I never got to thank you for the outfit, I love it."

"I'm glad," Lulu replied in her smooth low voice. "It won't do much for warmth, but usually the games are very hot, besides you have your fire spells to keep you warm."

"You've been such a great help Lulu," Yuna admitted feeling her voice crack again and even more tears leak out of her mismatched eyes. Her body was going to run out of fluids at this stage. "I'm going to miss you so much as well as Paine."

Lulu walked up to her, drying her tears with the soft sleeve of her dress and smiling lightly although her own colourful eyes became suspiciously shiny. The usually stoic black mage pulled her into a motherly hug, stroking her hair gently and allowing the young summoner to cry on her shoulder. "There, there," she soothed, her voice like warm silk. "I know it's scary but all you have to do is follow the plan, run and get to high ground and find a water source and then just wait, Paine, Auron, Shelinda and I will handle the rest. We'll find you wealthy sponsors, set you up with a powerful staff and give you food and water if you need it. Just try not to think about the whole thing too much. And when you win, we'll celebrate and take you back to Besaid for a grand homecoming party. Rikku and the two other Al Bheds you spoke of will be there with open arms and then you might want to become a mentor or help me with make-up. You'll bring wealth to Sector Ten just as Paine and Auron did and you'll have your own mansion for your family just as they do, although I don't think Paine uses hers much. It will all work out in the end."

Yuna found that her tears were drying slowly as the gothic woman's words seeped into her mind. That all sounded so lovely but without Tidus to celebrate it by her side, it just didn't seem worth it… But she had made a promise to end the senseless Spiral of Death for her family and all their loved ones, she had promised to bring hope. She would never break her promises.

Lulu gave off a small sigh and gently pulled away, giving the teen a soft warm smile. "You can do this, Yuna. You can win these games, just…" Another sigh. "Never forget who you are."

Yuna nodded once, watching the woman's retreating back and wanting to call out to her, to stay with her, to keep her safe, but she held herself back. She could not afford to be weak now, not when this was the time she needed to be at her strongest. She couldn't look weak out there, she couldn't give garland the opportunity to sneer at her, or make sponsors think she was cowardly, or let her family at home, who were probably going to watch this, think that she had given up hope.

She turned back to the elevator, half glaring, half staring at it. She could feel her aeons buzz within her soul. They knew of the danger, they knew of the trial ahead and they knew she'd need every one of them in order to win the games. They were ready to answer her call, ready to take her orders, ready to protect their summoner from the enemy.

All she'd need is a staff.

"Determination is a good look on you," Paine's voice came from behind her. Head turning to the side, she could see her mentor, standing in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest and face as stoic as ever until she gave off a small smile. "I've always admired you for it."

Yuna couldn't help but feel surprised and it must've shown on her face by the way her mentor's small smile grew slightly into one of amusement. "Really? You admire me?" she couldn't stop her voice from squeaking and mentally slapped herself for it, there was no point in going into the games, looking determined and fierce if her voice was going to become squeaky with the slightest bit of surprise.

Paine nodded once, uncrossing her arms and moving towards a chair to sit down. Yuna hastily dragged a chair to sit opposite her; at least this meant her mentor wasn't going to leave soon.

"I don't show emotion much or feelings," she said in her low voice. "Shelly will say it's because I'm not able to, but really I just don't want to." Here she gave a short laugh, but it was cold, slightly bitter and held no humour. "I was a completely different person before I entered those games, you know. I held my heart on my sleeve, open for all to see. You may not believe it, but this time three years ago, just before I went into the games, I was balling my eyes out."

Yuna found herself leaning forward unconsciously with interest. Paine? Crying? It was just too hard to imagine, never mind the fact that the warrior used to actually show emotion. Paine was right she didn't believe it, but still, if Paine was telling the truth then…

"What happened?" she asked hesitantly. "What happened to make you hide your emotions?"

Paine raised her bloody eyes to meet hers, a calculating and indecisive look in them. By the way her shoulders tensed and the way her sigh sounded tired and weary, Yuna could tell she did not want to discuss this, but that didn't stop the warrior.

"You're going to need to know the whole story before I can answer that," she said slowly, hesitating slightly as if choosing her next words carefully. Yuna waited patiently, not even realising she was holding her breath. "I… I grew up in an orphanage with… my three best friends; Gippal, Baralai and Nooj-"

"Gippal with the eye patch and spiky blonde hair?" Yuna cut in, describing her cousin's boyfriend. "And Baralai, the heir to the praetor of Yevon? And Nooj, the Undying?

Paine nodded once and in her excitement Yuna failed to see the distant look that appeared in her eyes. "My uncle told me Nooj nearly won the games and got his name as Nooj the Undying when he was really badly burnt but he kept on fighting for a whole hour despite the flames that were slowly killing him. It took six swords to kill him, all stuck into his body until he couldn't…" Yuna trailed off as she saw the look on her mentor's face and her excitement faded quickly. "I'm sorry for interrupting," she apologised quickly. "Please continue."

"Your uncle was right," she confirmed, not looking at Yuna but staring at an inconspicuous spot on the floor. "Anyway, we… we grew up together, planning our future together, Baralai, our razor rod-wielding navigator, Gippal our Al Bhed engineer, Nooj our legendary captain and me… our warrior pilot. We all had a dream to become famous and get an airship together. We completed half of our dream I guess…" Here she gave off a small snort and looked up at Yuna with regretful red eyes. "Gippal became a famous flirt in Besaid, Baralai, the praetor's heir, Nooj the Undying and me…"

"The victor," Yuna finished for her.

"The demon," Paine corrected her, almost ruefully. "That's what Shelly was going to say yesterday. Demon. That's why she hates me, she's a priestess in the Temple, she loves all things holy and well…" Yuna could see the shadow of a grin cross over the warrior's face, "Shelly's always had a huge crush on Baralai, it didn't help that we used to be in a relationship."

Yuna felt like laughing in amusement at the thought of Shelinda being jealous of Paine and shouting in disbelief that Paine had actually been in a romantic relationship with someone as soft-spoken as Baralai at the same time, but did neither. She was disgusted that Shelinda would refer to Paine as a creature of hell and that everyone else seemed to believe it, so she simply stated firmly, "but you're not a demon Paine."

"Not a full one anyway…" the warrior muttered inaudibly turning her gaze to the floor once more before continuing on with her story. "We worked hard for our future, training and saving up any money we could get. I eventually became skilled with the broadsword and Nooj with his machina gun, Baralai acted as if his double razor ring-rod was an extra limb and Gippal eventually built some kind of grenade launching machina weapon to use. We were going to be famous warriors throughout Sector Ten and travel on an airship. But… our plans… they just crashed and… burned when…" she shook her head with a deep sigh.

"When you were reaped for the games," Yuna suggested in a low voice, she knew all about _that_ anyway.

Paine nodded slowly. "I was reaped for the games… along with Nooj," she paused slightly and heaved another sigh. "At the time I was heartbroken… I thought that Nooj and I might've had a… future… together. But not after Shelly called out my name and Nooj's."

"What did you do?" Yuna asked, understanding how Paine felt, she always saw Tidus in her future, someone of would always be there for her, but that would never happen. Either her future would never come because she'd be dead or she'd live and Tidus wouldn't be there to celebrate her life with her.

"We stuck together," she replied in a monotone. "He dealt with long range enemies and I dealt with close up ones. We made a great team; I even thought he loved me at one stage in the games. We killed so many fiends and so many other tributes, I think I killed at least… seven." She shook her head in shame, a mockingly rueful smile on her face. "We made it to be the last three tributes standing, the Turks manipulated the arena so that the final showdown would take place at the centre where the Shinra monument stood, where the opening bloodbath takes place. Our final fight against… Kadaj."

Yuna drew in a sharp breath, she knew well who Kadaj was, or rather… had been. He'd been the president's son, his only heir to the thrown of power over the Capitol. The boy had been as merciless as his father, heartless and ruthless, wielding blades of ice cold steel. She'd heard he'd always strived for his parents' acceptance and winning the games would've gotten him it. So, he'd volunteered, he'd signed his own death warrant and brought on his early doom.

"Kadaj killed Nooj," Yuna breathed out in a barely audible voice, but she knew Paine heard.

"No." The warrior's voice had become bitter and pained, as though she was swallowing knives with each word she spoke. "Nooj had obviously struck a deal with Kadaj and he… betrayed me. He went over to Kadaj's side and left me alone. I think… that's when I decided to hide my emotions, I figured if I could hide them, they'd eventually fade and I'd never feel that kind of incurable pain again." Yuna waited, horror-struck with a gaping mouth as the warrior took in a shaky breath and raised her eyes to connect with Yuna's. "And I think… that's when I lost control."

Paine said nothing more for a while, just stared at Yuna's reaction. "What do you mean by 'lost control'?" she asked hesitantly after the stretching silence became too much to bear. She didn't think she wanted to know the answer to her question.

"Of my… gifts," she spat the word out as if it tasted like acid in her mouth. At Yuna's unsure look she continued on. "My 'brother' Shinra, he's an Al Bhed kid who designed what he calls a 'garment grid' with dresspheres," as she said this, she pulled off the glove on her right hand to expose a red looking glyph with small circular nodes etched into her skin and tiny spherical objects inserted into the nodes.

Yuna recoiled in shock, not because of the wonder of the device but of the pattern of the glyph. It was red raw and glowing in colour, almost pulsing in sync with Paine's heartbeat. She recognised the symbol immediately, it was forbidden, it was evil, it was…

"The mark of the devil," Yuna stated rather breathlessly.

Paine nodded silently. "The layout of the garment grid changed as soon as it came into contact with my skin. It should be detachable but I was never able to get it off. It melted into my skin in this pattern and see this dressphere here," Paine pointed to the pure black sphere in the centre of the glyph. "That's my special dressphere, Full Throttle, when it melted into my skin; I was able to use parts of this dressphere or the whole thing if I wanted. The thing about dresspheres is… they alter your attributes to suit your current situation. Warrior dressphere makes you stronger, thief makes you faster, gunner makes you more accurate and so on. They all change your whole appearance, you saw the trainer dressphere the night of the parade, it changed my whole outfit and my sword became Flurry. So I shouldn't have been able to only use a part of Full Throttle…"

"But you did?" Yuna asked quietly, eyes still glue to the profane symbol on her mentor's arm.

"Yes," she answered stoically. "The pain and loneliness was too much and… I lost control. Swords came out of my back, just like in Full Throttle and I couldn't… I wasn't able to stop them. They just levitated in the air before striking. I didn't even move. Kadaj was dead before he could even scream."

"And Nooj?" Yuna pressed on.

"You know the story," she answered carelessly though Yuna could hear it in her voice that the warrior really did care and that she had never told anyone this story before. "I lost control of the flames and the swords, I didn't even know what I was doing until Nooj's body lay burning, bloody and lifeless in front of me."

A long silence descended upon the two women, neither looking at the other but staring at the floor, both lost in thought. Yuna felt torn between comforting her mentor and cowering from her and Paine lost in her past, hating her heritage. Yuna eventually broke the unbearable silence.

"You said you weren't a 'full one'," she started slowly, carefully raising her gaze to catch her mentor's. "What did you mean?"

"I'm not a full demon," she replied. "Just half. My mom was raped by one, I don't know which one but I was the result. She felt too guilty to kill me in the womb but she refused to raise me as her own so she shoved me into an orphanage first chance she got. In the final round of the games, everyone saw what I had tried so hard to conceal all my life. I've always known what I was and I've always controlled it, up until that final round anyway. That's where I got my reputation; I'm the demon who killed the president's sole heir."

"Paine…" Yuna started but trailed off not knowing what to say. I'm sorry? I understand? Could she really understand her mentor? Could she really understand what it was like to be the spawn of hell? To have unleashed powers such as Ifrit's and had no control over it? To have killed your best friend and nearly-lover? "Thank you for telling me," she finished softly. "It must've been hard for you to tell someone that."

Paine actually looked surprised by her reaction, the warrior's eyes widened and lips parted slightly in shock. Yuna gave her a small smile which she hoped looked understanding to the gothic woman. A ghost of a smile crossed her face before her eyes became serious as she covered up her wicked mark with her leather glove. "I'm telling you this for a reason Yuna, partly because I respect you and trust you. You deserved to know as I consider you not only a student but a friend," Paine explained slowly, a gloved hand was placed on each shoulder as crimson clashed with blue and green. "I also told you this so that you won't make the same mistake. Trust no one Yuna and whatever you do, don't fall in love."

No one would ever know that the second those last four words left her mouth a vision of light blonde spikes and mako eyes came into Yuna's mind instantly as her heart wrenched painfully. Her lungs were suddenly void of oxygen and her throat dry, ribs aching with the effort of breathing and tongue feeling too large for her mouth. What was happening to her? She felt as if she was swallowing dirt.

Dirt…

Part of the earth…

Swallowing her…

So much green…

"Yuna!"

Why did her cheek feel like it was on fire? Shouldn't she be cold? Wasn't she buried alive? Wasn't the earth cold?

"Yuna!"

Or maybe she'd travelled so far down, she'd finally reached the hot core. It would explain why her other cheek was now on fire too.

"Yuna!"

Was that light from the core of molten magma blinding her? No… it should be red. So why was this one white? No, there was silver too and then fiery red eyes of magma, but why were they so worried? It wasn't like she was suffering anymore, her lungs didn't ache, they'd given up and she could barely feel the soreness of her throat anymore. None needed to pity her, she didn't feel anything…

_Yuna… You need to breathe; you need to wake up…_

Lenne?

_There's someone waiting for you…_

Is it our parents?

_No… they come from the living…_

Who?

_You'll have to return to find out…_

Bi-coloured eyes flew open as lungs achingly filled themselves with oxygen and a heart beat rapidly against a small ribcage. The worried crimson eyes were still staring at her, while a gloved hand was raised as if to come down upon her. Why did she get the feeling it already had? Twice?

"Yevon Yuna!" She knew that low feminine voice so why wouldn't her vision focus properly to confirm her guess as to who owned it? "What the hell happened?"

"_Beware the sole survivor,"_ she knew that voice too… it was so familiar yet sounded dead and strange. What was happening to her voice? Why was she rambling? Why didn't she have control over it? _"Beware the one imbued with divine power."_ Divine… aeons were divine so were fayth. Isaaru had taught her that when she had been a summoner, no… wait, she was _still_ a summoner. Yes she was a summoner and Isaaru had taught her to summon. He'd also taught her how to control her mouth though… _"Beware the summoner of-"_

Her rant was broken as something that felt quite like a brick came into contact with her face. Ears ringing and cheek throbbing, she raised her eyes, her vision finally back, to stare into the face of her mentor. Paine's eyes were as wide as saucers and her gloved hand was raised once more. How had Paine suddenly become so tall? Why was her back, arms and legs so cold? And how'd the ceiling get up there?

Yuna sat up groggily holding her cheek and rubbing gently, Paine in turn stood to her full height and held out a hand to the summoner. Yuna looked at it as a child would stare at something they had never seen before. She shook her head, as if it would help her come to her senses and allowed the warrior to help her up and sit her down in a chair as her legs were shaking slightly.

"What happened back there?" Paine asked instantly, her monotone abandoned and concern evident in her voice.

Yuna groaned, rubbing her cheek with her fingertips. "Someone hit me with a brick."

Paine actually had the decency to look sheepish as she rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. Zack must've been rubbing off on her. "You wouldn't wake up and I… panicked."

"Did you have to hit me with a block of stone though?" Yuna asked incredulously.

"That was my hand," there was the deadpan voice Yuna knew.

"Oh," Yuna cast a quick look down at the woman's hand. Yevon, she didn't need a broadsword, one slap and her opponents would probably wake up suffering from either cracked skulls or never wake up at all.

"Yuna," Paine tried again. "What happened? One minute you were fine then the next you weren't breathing and on the floor and then ranting on about survivors and divine summoners-"

"Valefor…" Yuna interrupted softly. "She… she was warning me… I couldn't remember what it was… and she sent me a vision…"

"What was the vision, Yuna?" Paine pressed her for answers gently.

"Fire and earth, there was so much earth. I was being swallowed whole and the fire prevented me from escaping," she explained blankly, eyes staring off into the distance until Paine snapped her fingers in front of her face.

"Focus," Paine ordered firmly. "Valefor wouldn't send you that for nothing. Now you said the earth was swallowing you and there was fire?" Yuna nodded in reply. "Materia…" Paine stood and began to pace back and forth, heels clicking and eyes cast downward in deep thought.

"What?" Yuna turned in her chair to face the warrior who had paused to answer her question.

"It's these spheres that meld into your armour and give you extra abilities," Paine explained. "Someone may obtain a master earth and fire materia and use it against you. Using 'reflect' should take care of it, but just be careful anyway. It might be better to summon an aeon. Valefor was obviously trying to protect you."

"I couldn't remember her words from before," Yuna said more to herself than to Paine. "She must've been trying to communicate but I didn't feel her awaken…"

"What did she say?" Paine quizzed moving towards her with concern and interest shining in her eyes.

"She was going on about someone wielding divine power, a survivor… a summoner," Yuna swallowed hard. "I think she might be telling me to beware of… myself? Does that even make sense?"

Paine nodded slowly, Yuna could practically see the cogs and gears turning in her head as she paced again before stopping abruptly and turning to Yuna with serious eyes. "These games… they change people, Yuna. Maybe she's trying to warn you not to lose yourself to your primeval side, like I did."

Like Paine did… Paine lost control, the pain and sorrow of betrayal and unrequited love was just too much for her soul to bear, both human and demon half. Yuna lost control, the anger and rage that the Turks had no respect for a lowly tribute had caused a disruption in her soul and had unleashed her aeon that had shared her feelings. Ifrit.

But she had retained control on the aeon, hadn't she? It hadn't attacked the Turks mercilessly, just exploded their food. So had she really lost control? There was no point on sugar-coating it and lying to herself; she knew she had, she had given into the temptation of unleashing hell's aeon but had managed to reign in control once he was summoned. Would she be able to regain control should she lose it in the games?

"Launching will begin in two minutes, yo!" Reno's voice sounded over the intercom, causing Yuna to flinch involuntarily.

Two minutes left in salvation. Two minutes left with her friend. Two minutes left before she entered the games. Two minutes before she began her fight for survival.

"Are you going to be alright? To go into the games after-"

"Yes," Yuna nodded once before standing up, thank Yevon they kept steady, and walking up to her mentor. She knew better than to hug Paine, she might be able to get away with it with Auron but not the half-demon before her. She placed her hand on Paine's bare shoulder and gave a slightly sad smile, shedding a single tear, she promised herself that would be the last tear she shed today. "Thank you for everything, Paine. I would've never survived the three weeks here without you and Lulu. You're both like sisters to me, like a summoner's guardians. You always looked out for me and you trained me to survive. I won't let you down, I promise."

"Launching in one minute," Reno's voice came again. "Al tributes get into the tubes now, yo!"

Both women waited in silence as the countdown began. Fifty-nine, fifty-eight, fifty seven, fifty six…

"I know you won't let me down," Paine replied softly, her monotone gone and voice gentle yet remaining low. She raised her own arm, so that it crossed over Yuna's outstretched one and her gloved hand rested on the summoner's shoulder. "You never break your promises."

Fort-five, forty-four, forty-three, forty-two…

"I promise to end the Spiral of Death in my family and bring hope to Sector Ten," Yuna said softly, feeling the aeon's stir in her soul as inspiration and determination seeped through. "I won't start breaking my promises now."

Thirty-four, thirty-three, thirty-two, thirty-one…

Paine took her arm back and slipped her hand into her pocket, pulling out a small necklace with a crimson diamond in the centre. The chain was fairly long, so Paine slipped it easily over her head, making sure the long braid wasn't caught in it. It clinked in a friendly manner against her other necklace, the necklace Rikku had given her before she said goodbye. "This will shield you from fire," the warrior explained. "It's a pendant forged in hell, it'll keep the fire at bay, so all you have to worry about is the earth."

Twenty-four, twenty-three, twenty-two, twenty-one…

"Thank you," Yuna smiled down at the pendant held between her fingers, "I'll get it back to you, I promise."

Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen…

"I'll be waiting on the other side," Paine said with a small smile as she watched the summoner, give a final wave of goodbye and step into the tube, arms tucked neatly by her sides and eyes shining with fear and determination.

"Launching, yo!"

Yuna wanted to scream and cry and run back into the room with Paine, but before she could do anything, the door slid shut with a sharp hiss and the elevator flew upwards, leading her to her doom.

Sunlight blinded her as the tube broke to the surface and fell away as the final ten seconds were counted down. Yuna could see all the other tributes, looking towards the Shinra monument in the centre ready to run for supplies. She knew not to jump off her platform until the countdown ended and not to run straight into the middle to get supplies. She had orders to follow and this was the real thing, she couldn't afford any mistakes.

She looked around her at all the other tributes, some crouched and ready to run, others crying, others determined and some shaking with the fear of entering this land of nothing. That's what it was wasn't it? That's where they were going, into the nothing. This place didn't exist, it was all computerized and false yet it was so real at the same time. It was just nothing…

Ten…

She thought back to her home as time seemed to slow down. She thought back to the snobby summoner and her deceased loyal lover. Despite her mean personality and his used-to-be clueless one, she was going to miss them both, even though one had already passed on. _Goodbye, Donna and Barthello._

Nine…

Chocobos came to mind as she thought of the wimpy boy with the obsession of the bird species and his two sisters, the ones who had often stuck up for her when Tidus had not been around. She wondered did she ever thank them or their brother for training her how to ride a chocobo_. Goodbye Lucil, Elma and Clasko._

Eight…

A crusader with red hair and his smaller apprentice with black hair and tanned skin popped into her thoughts. The ones who had tried to teach her how to wield a giant sword and how to be a crusader. The ones who had acted like older brothers to her at times_. Goodbye Luzzu and Gatta._

Seven…

A stern glare and a strict expression. Tanned skin and brown locks. A man clothed of robes of Yevon and wielding a powerful staff, summoning the divine creatures from the heavens. She was going to miss her teacher and surrogate father. _Goodbye Isaaru_.

Six…

The Al Bheds. Three blonde and one bald, two in love and two arguing, all proud of their heritage and language. She had loved to watch their silly games and their mock fights in the kitchen as she cooked with her dear cousin. _Goodbye, Cid, Brother, Gippal and Rikku._

Five…

Chubby hands and robes of Yevon beside a red coat with a massive katana and small glasses. Two people who she hadn't really like at first but had grown closer to as the weeks went on. She hated to admit it but she was going to miss the snob and the old man. _Goodbye Shelinda and Auron._

Four…

Belts. Lots of belts and long braids of jet black hair from a bun with purple lips and deadly spell books. She'd miss her sessions of magic with the stoic black mage and the outfits the woman made for her. _Goodbye Lulu._

Three…

Black leather, silver hair and red eyes. An expressionless face and a tense body. A kind, caring person on the inside who helped her and believed in her when no one else would. A new sister and friend, a good person with an evil heritage_. Goodbye Paine._

Two…

Oceanic eyes that always gave her comfort, sun-kissed skin and sandy blonde hair that reminded her of the setting sun. A blitzball under one arm and a blue sword in the other while curses about drunken lazy fathers left his perfect lips. A best friend who now faced her on this field of destruction. A best friend who would not return home with her but would always be in her heart. _Goodbye Tidus._

One…

Mako eyes, blonde spikes, a gigantic buster sword and a permanently stoic expression. A man of mystery who also faced her on this field yet she had never shared a word with him only long looks, hers of wonder and his of an unreadable emotion. A man who could make her heart bleed or glow, who could take her breath away or give it back, who could kill her or revive her. Though she didn't even know him, she felt as though he had been with her for her whole life yet at the same time had never stepped a foot into it. He felt like a familiar stranger, and though that made no sense in reality, it made sense in her fantasy. She'd hold onto this fantasy throughout the games, it would keep her going, it would keep her strong. Although, it could well be her final fantasy. _Goodbye Cloud._

Zero…

_Hello, Fantasy Games._


	8. Animal I Have Become

**A/N: Hello everyone. I sincerely apologise for the late update. I've been extremely busy due to family matters and I honestly just haven't really had the time to update but I promise to try and fit in more writing time from now on.**

**A huge thanks to those who have reviewed and continuously reviewing. It's great to get feedback and speaking of which I'm obviously writing this not only because I enjoy it but also that other people can enjoy reading it and looking over it I'm just wondering; **_**are the chapters too long?**_** Because I can shorten them slightly if people are finding it tiring to read chapters with at least 5,000 words in them. **

**This chapter was inspired by Three Day's Grace's song 'Animal I Have Become.'**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy or The Hunger Games.**

Chapter 8: Animal I Have Become

Chaos.

Yuna hated it, she loathed the word itself but she couldn't help but wonder what it was exactly. What others saw it as. Perhaps as a force? Or a feeling? It couldn't be physical, you couldn't touch it or materially feel it but you could really feel its wrath. She felt it right now, she could feel its unholy presence, making her skin crawl and her stomach flip. She knew it was caused by all Hell breaking lose, when twenty-six teenagers sprang into action as the countdown reached zero, when control was lost, when order was disrupted, when peace was broken…

When primeval sides took over…

She was no better; she had leapt off of her platform and made a beeline for a small rucksack that was moved farther from the other items at the base of the giant Shinra monument. She had forgotten all about the other tributes, about Tidus, even about Cloud, just focusing on the bag and then running into the forests. That's what animals did wasn't it? They only focused on one thing at a time, only on the one thing that would help them to survive and once they obtained it, they thought of the next thing, repeating the process their whole lives.

Now she had become an animal, along with all the other tributes, it was probably why she was still alive. She was completely focused on survival and on her senses, she felt as though she could hear, smell and see everything all at the one time. It was funny how alive she felt so close to her death.

She could hear screams of pain and terror around her, she wanted to block them out so much and never hear such torturous sounds again, but she knew she couldn't. Life wasn't that fair. She could see a bullet shoot through Sector One's female tribute's head, splattering blood all over the grass and staining the girl's beautiful hair. She couldn't help the scream that escaped her lips, looking around wildly while running for the person with the gun. Seifer's wide grin answered her unasked question and only made her double her efforts to escape. She didn't want for anyone to see part of her brain staining the lush green grass.

Looking behind her to see if anyone was near enough to strike out at her, she could see Sector Eleven's male tribute pick up a gigantic sword and gorge the beautiful girl from Sector Four with the long blonde hair and bright eyes. Yuna didn't have time to feel sorry for Rosa as the sword was ripped forcefully out of her and used to block an oncoming lance from a furious dragoon. By the sound of his scream of agony, Yuna didn't think he managed to keep the lance at bay.

She forced herself to forget about the screams and bloodshed behind her and continued to sprint towards the bag, glad of the hours she put in to raise her fitness. Sector Twelve's female tribute, her name was Ann or Ashe or something like that, appeared in front of her, running like a scared deer and not looking where she was going. Yuna didn't even hesitate to twist her body to the side, rolling around her before resuming her journey to the bag. A small part of her hoped Paine saw that quick reflex.

She reached down and grabbed the handle while running, never stopping. The sound of the wind whooshing unnaturally and the rattle of chains sent a warning shiver down her spine as she ran. The black blur coming towards her from the right sent her nerves skyrocketing until she had no control over her actions. Her instincts took over as she felt a sharp object approaching at neck height, ready to decapitate her. She didn't even think about what she was doing until she had tilted her head back to the sky, letting her knees buckle and skidding along the grass on her shins as the deadly weapon flew by above her. Using the momentum to send her forward into a roll and leap back onto her feet, she sprinted onwards, not breaking pace and allowing a small sense of victory to rise within her at the sound of Garland's enraged growl from behind her.

She reached the outskirts of the forest and paused, ignoring her instincts and turning back to see if anyone had followed her. No one had noticed her quick exit; they were all too preoccupied with staying alive. Bodies littered the ground as blood stained the grass. She could see Garland in the middle of it, his big form dominating the other tributes who remained alive. She could see Ann or Ashe make it into the forest while the two youngest tributes, Zidane and Garnet reach safety on the other side. A long blue jacket caught her attention as jet black hair with brown highlights billowed out behind Rinoa as she ran into the trees, her own rucksack in hand.

She was about to turn around and flee from the remains of the opening bloodbath but blonde spikes caught her eye as usual. He'd obtained a buster sword, long and wide and deadly sharp as he slashed at Sector Three's female tribute. Yuna didn't know what she was; she only knew that she was female with scraggly grey hair, cold eyes and two yellow plants sprouting from her body. She wore barely any clothing, just enough to cover up the most private parts of the female anatomy.

Cloud slashed at her with the sword, cutting off her precious plants as they snapped at him and causing her to scream in pain. Cloud didn't seem to even notice the woman's pain as he slashed horizontally at her stomach. The dark tribute tried to jump back out of the way but only managed to avoid a fatal blow although receiving a deep enough cut across her abdomen. She tilted her head back to the sky and cried in outrage, leaving herself open and allowing Cloud to finish her off easily.

Yuna was horrified that he didn't even hesitate to shove his buster sword through her body and push hard so that the tip tore open the skin of her back. She could see the life fade from her being as the woman went limp and the SOLDIER pulled his sword out of her body in one strong motion.

Her hands covered her mouth automatically in an attempt to hold in her gasp at his emotionless face as he wiped the sword on his pant leg, cleaning off the blood as though it was only water; no big deal. She felt her stomach clench with the fear that he'd heard her when he paused and looked in her direction, their eyes meeting across the battle field. She felt her breath catch in her throat and her heart skip a beat in her chest at the sight of his angelic appearance. How could someone so beautiful kill so easily?

_Don't fall in love…_

She lowered her hands, hefting her rucksack over her shoulder and steeling her gaze. Isaaru had always taught her to control her emotions and she had mastered the talent; now was the time to put it to good use. Paine had warned her of the mistake of letting her heart run free, her sister had died for love and Donna had become but an empty vessel thanks to the loss of her loved one. She would not repeat their mistakes.

She didn't care that he was still staring at her as she turned and ran into the forest as fast as she could, dodging through bushes and past trees, keeping an eye out for other tributes and an ear out for fiends. She was so focused on getting to a water source and then to high ground that she didn't even bother to check the contents of her backpack nor did she realise that a tribute with mako eyes had run off in the same direction as her.

* * *

Paine allowed a soft sigh of relief to escape her lips as she sat in her dark room in front of the television. The technology in the Capitol never ceased to amaze the stoic warrior although she would never show such emotion. It was much more advanced than the machina they had back at home. Her little brother, Shinra, would've loved to take every machina from the Capitol apart and study it in detail, but she couldn't bring him here, it was too dangerous.

She stared at the screen, watching as Yuna dashed through the woods like a cheetah, jumping over brushes and dodging trunks of trees with ease. Paine had to hand it to her; she never slowed her pace or tripped, the intense fitness training had really paid off. Paine had agreed to monitor Yuna's actions in the games while Auron took care of Tidus and both would report on their chosen tributes' status at the end of the day.

The first time she had mentored a tribute, she had been nervously picking at her nails while watching the opening bloodbath. Poor Calli hadn't stood a chance in the chaos, the girl had been too sweet and innocent to really realise what she would be up against and what she would have to do to win the games. Calli had been the first to die in the blood bath, decapitated by a tribute from Sector Four.

This year's opening to the games had been slightly messier than usual; no doubt the viewers of the Capitol were lapping up the whole ordeal. Seven tributes had died and quite painfully too. Sector Eleven and Sector Three had lost both their tributes. Sector Five's female tribute, Lenna, had both her arms amputated before the poor girl was finally put out of her misery with a sword through the heart. Rosa and Sarah had fallen also, at least Sarah had been dead within a second, Rosa had laid on the ground spasming uncontrollably as blood leaked out of the corner of her mouth and dribbled down her chin. Her partner had been quick to avenge her and to make sure that her killer had died extremely slowly and painfully. The viewers had probably loved that and would think the man was satisfied with his disgusting kill, but Paine knew better. She could see the grief written across his face. He'd obviously loved the girl and now he had nothing to lose, which made him a very dangerous opponent. Paine knew what the loss of love could do to someone in the games. She had faith in Yuna to not repeat her mistakes.

She had been nervous for Yuna – and Tidus – in the bloodbath, but both had made it out, although Yuna just made it by the skin of her teeth. She had wanted to scream at Yuna, to warn her about the oncoming chain sword but the summoner had easily dodged it and with style. At least that would attract sponsors.

So far, Paine had gotten the summoner a few sponsors although most wealthy people wouldn't talk to one with a reputation such as her but she had collected a heavy amount to afford Yuna small bits of help. Vincent Valentine, a previous victor of the Fantasy Games and an old friend, had given her a large sum of money to put towards Yuna. Vincent probably had a worse reputation than her, only coming out at night, wearing a red tattered cape and barely conversing with anyone – not to mention his matching red eyes – had earned him the title of a vampire. Paine knew the misunderstood man better than that though, she knew all about his past and the demons he faced within himself, he had confided in her as she had understood his situation and now they considered one another a close friend. There was nothing romantic between the two, just someone to listen to their problems and share a comfortable silence.

Paine had put all of Vincent's money and a bit from other sponsors towards a summoning staff for Yuna. The Capitol preferred to use materia to summon but this wasn't as effective as Yuna's summoning. The chosen summon would perform a powerful attack but then disappear straight away afterwards, at least Yuna's aeon could remain until defeated.

She had tried to buy a staff immediately but all were inefficient for summoning and would break too easily. She had had no choice but to bring the money to a weapon's producer and give firm instructions of the staff she wanted created for Yuna. The man had said it wasn't his forte to design staffs for summoners but had agreed to craft the weapon. It would be ready in about a week and a half or so. Paine hoped Yuna would survive that long.

The warrior unconsciously tightened her grip on the two tiny bee pistols in front of her, along with the pouch full of clips to provide ammo for the guns. She would wait until Yuna settled for the night until she sent them in, but she feared she might have to send them in earlier by the direction Yuna was heading.

She briskly set the pistols down and jumped off the bed, heading to the small dressing table to retrieve her 'illegal' map. It was true that mentors weren't allowed to have a map of the game field in their possession as it gave them an unfair advantage over those who didn't have one; only members of the Turks were allowed to have such a helpful object in their possession. Technically it wasn't her fault, she had reassured herself, because Zack had given it to her and it would simply be too rude to turn down such a gift. Though one would argue that she wouldn't care about being rude to the porcupine, she'd retort saying she'd had a change of heart. Everyone can change.

When she'd asked Zack where he'd gotten it from he'd simply replied, 'Tifa' with one of his arrogant grins. That's when it had all clicked together for Paine. Tifa was the Capitol's tributes' stylist, she had won the games before Paine but had chosen to style the tributes rather than train them. As far as Paine knew, Tifa was currently in a relationship with a certain fiery-haired Turk so it would be relatively easy for the woman to get her hands on a map. Paine didn't really know the woman that well, they had talked once or twice but Paine liked her. She was optimistic yet not annoying, an excellent martial artist yet not arrogant, beautiful yet not snobby and kind, not asking for any help or anything in return. Reno was a lucky man.

She felt her brows slant downwards as her lips twisted into a grimace when she pin-pointed Yuna's location on the photocopied map. Her theory had been correct and it only worried her more, perhaps she really would have to send in the guns earlier.

"You look distressed," a low voice came from the direction of her open window.

"Just anxious," she replied instantly, her monotone betraying nothing but her facial features speaking otherwise. She didn't even turn to look at the man in a crouch on her window ledge, she knew he meant her no harm and she was so used to him calling through the window by this stage that it rarely startled her.

His silence answered her retort but she knew he was raising an eyebrow in question. Paine gestured for him to enter, knowing he'd never fully come into her room without permission, too much of a gentleman. A soft thump, almost inaudible due to his stealth, sounded a second later. She didn't offer him a seat, she knew he'd take it if he wanted one, but usually he just stood, arms crossed and expression unreadable.

His silence was enough for her to know that if she wanted to discuss whatever was causing her anxiety, he would listen and she found herself heaving a barely audible sigh of gratitude. She had no doubt he heard it. "Yuna survived the opening bloodbath, she's currently fleeing through the forest but…" she finally turned to the man, lifting the map for him to see and pointing to an area shaded in red on the map. By the way his crimson eyes flashed briefly and his tattered cloak flickered slightly she could tell he was surprised but she continued on, "she's heading into dangerous territory."

* * *

Her breath started coming in short uneven gasps as she sprinted through the thick green woods. How long had she been running for? An hour? Two hours? Maybe three? Or maybe it had just seemed that long to her tired legs? Her lungs ached for more oxygen and every breath she took strained her ribs and sent a stab of pain into her chest. She did her best to ignore the feeling, to pretend she didn't care and continue on sprinting but she knew she'd have to stop soon. She had entered the games in the evening time and the sun was beginning to dip down from what she could see past the trees. She'd need somewhere to rest for the night.

She stopped, bent over and tried to even out her breathing and calm her racing heart, studying her surroundings as she did so. There wasn't much to see though, just lots of trees and bushes. Turning her gaze upwards, she could see a sturdy branch high above in one of the trees covered by moss and sheltered by leaves. It would be a handy enough place to rest.

Shifting the rucksack hanging over her shoulder into a more comfortable position, she heaved a strained sigh and steeled her resolve. She had climbed trees bigger than this in Besaid; she'd climbed ruins and fell twenty feet into the sea. This wouldn't be a problem.

Her ascension to the thick branch took at least fifteen minutes, the moss on the tree and some of the frail branches didn't make it easy for her but she grasped at every foot hold and sturdy branch until she finally reached the top, only then it occurred to her to check the contents of her rucksack.

Straddling the branch with ease and thanking Lulu silently for the manoeuvrable outfit, she zipped open the bag in front of her and searched through the contents. Waterproof blanket, empty plastic bottle for water, three energy bars, rope, a small dagger, one bottle of ether and two potions, she couldn't say that she was unhappy with it at least she wouldn't starve immediately and if she did run out of energy to call upon her magic, she could drink the ether.

Darkness began to fall over the game field as the sun sunk behind the hills. She repacked the bag, although she kept the small dagger in her pouch on her hip, she'd never know when she'd need it. There was no point in sleeping on the ground, anything could attack at any time and she'd be defenceless. So, covering herself with the waterproof blanket and securing her body to the branch using the rope, she laid back against the tree trunk and pulled her pink hood up over her head just in case it did rain.

Sleep didn't come straight away to the tired tribute. Questions kept swirling around in her head and troublesome thoughts plagued her mind. Who was still alive? Who died? When would a decent weapon arrive? Where was Tidus? Was he even alive? That one question brought silent tears to her eyes every time it surfaced in her thoughts. She still couldn't really believe that she was in the Games, that she could die at any moment; that she may never see Rikku, or Paine, or Lulu, or even Tidus again. Only yesterday she had been laughing with Lulu and Paine and reminiscing on past events with Tidus. Only less than a month ago she had been cooking with Rikku in their small hut and giggling under their breath as brother and Cid argued back and front while setting the table. She couldn't really seem to understand that she may never do those things again and that any of the upcoming days could well be her last. The reality that she may never escape these games just hadn't hit her yet.

She tried to force sleep to come, squeezing her eyes shut and keeping her breathing deep and even but every time she would hear a branch creak or a leaf flicker she would sit bolt upright with her hands raised and a spell on the tip of her tongue. Her nerves were on edge from fear of another tribute discovering her or a fiend or monster hunting her. The fact that her aeons stirred in her soul every time her stomach flipped from terror or her brow furrowed with worry only made the uneasiness worse.

She must've gone to sleep at some stage however because she awoke suddenly to sunlight blinding her through the trees. Squinting slightly and giving off a sleepy yawn she sat up and cracked her back letting off a tiny groan as she stretched her stiff limbs. It hadn't been the most comfortable of places to sleep but at least she had made it through her first night in the games. She suddenly felt tired all over again just at the thought of moving on through the expansive virtual field but she knew it had to be done, Paine had warned her staying in the one place was too dangerous unless it was somewhere isolated and well-hidden.

Untying the rope and wrapping it up neatly in the blanket, she placed both items in her backpack and closed the zip up. She shifted so that she was in a crouching position on the branch and took the chance to study her surroundings now that she was slightly more refreshed and alert. She could see no movement on the forest floor below and the only real movement at her level was the gentle sway of branches and leaves. She was surprised by how many trees and bushes there were, she didn't think that the Turks would make the forest so thick and dense. Wouldn't the public want open areas suited for epic battles between tributes?

She was about to drop down onto a branch below when her heart grew cold and felt as though it had pins and needles. Hesitating and remaining in her crouching position, she leaned closer to the trunk of the tree and held her breath in anticipation. She tried to communicate with the icy aeon awake in her soul but no response came, just a silent warning in the form of a cold mist surrounding her heart.

That's when she heard the voices, three to be exact. One was low and slightly posh with a hint of bitter sorrow lacing its masculinity, another was boyish and cocky and the last was rough and commanding. Yuna held in her gasp, clamping her hand over her mouth as Garland, Kain, Seifer and Gabranth came into view below her. Kain, Seifer and Garland seemed to be bickering about something whereas Gabranth merely watched the heated exchange. She wondered why they weren't fighting to the death, Kain had a fierce looking lance in hand while Garland held his trademark sword and was covered from head to toe in shiny black armour with a long cape. Seifer held his own gunblade lazily over his shoulder and Gabranth carried a sharp looking sword in each hand, his own armour shining in the morning light.

_Allies. They must be allies_, she concluded as they passed beneath her. Paine had warned her that groups will be formed and to stay away from them. The warrior had sternly told her not to trust anyone and not to make any friends. Allies were okay but not friends. Paine had warned her that it was best not to make any allies for fear she'd become attached to them and fail to kill them when the time came. She didn't want anything to do with this certain group, Seifer proved to be completely selfish when he didn't stick up for Rinoa and she doubted Garland would be that happy to see her. She had challenged him, hadn't she? Four against one didn't seem like very good odds to her.

She remained perfectly still, waiting patiently for them to pass underneath her. She ignored the pained sensation in her legs from crouching too long and bit down hard on her bottom lip to stop herself from groaning. She could feel her aeons slowly awaken to give her support, comforting feelings like the smallest tickle of a flower petal or the soft brush of a unicorn's silky mane within her soul. Just those small touches gave her the strength to remain like a statue and keep her well-trained patience. If she survived these games she really had to thank Isaaru for her lessons.

To her dismay they had stopped right below her tree and had begun to point in different directions and argue even louder. She rolled her eyes in annoyance and bit down even harder on her bottom lip. Her legs couldn't take much more of the strain; she had to do something…

Slowly standing up and using the trunk for support, she held her breath as the boys remained oblivious to her actions. She could see another sturdy branch stretching out straight in front of her, maybe if she just jumped over to it, she could make her way away from them silently through the trees, provided she didn't stumble or slip. It was a better option than remaining where she was like a sitting duck, waiting to be killed, plucked and cooked.

She walked slowly away from the trunk and outwards on the branch, taking shallow breaths that were barely audible. She made sure to put the heel of her foot down first, then slowly lower the rest of the sole of her shoe, the same way she would do if she were hunting an animal. She made sure her bag was firmly resting on her shoulder as she crept outwards. If she looked down she could easily see the tops of their heads and helmets and suddenly felt a wave of nausea overcome her, one false move and her cover would be blown.

Turning her eyes back upwards and taking another step, carefully keeping her balance, she felt a deep sense of dread settle into the bottom of her stomach as she saw a small blue bird resting on the branch ahead of her. Her eyes widened as she quickly put a finger to her lips in a pointless attempt to keep the small animal quiet but the sudden movement startled the poor creature, causing it to squawk loudly and fly away.

She held her breath as she turned her eyes back downwards to the boys who were turning their heads like startled chocobos, looking for the source of the cry. Each had their weapons drawn and were positioned in ready stances.

Of all the tributes that could've looked up at that exact moment it just had to be _him._

Garland.

An enraged gruff shout and the sound of a rattling chain caused her to throw caution to the window and sprint over to the other branch, leaping off the previous one just in time to hear wood splintering as a chain sword demolished the spot where she had just been standing. She didn't bother to look back as she raced ahead, trying to lose her opponents through the tree tops.

From her experience in running along branches she knew it was best not to hesitate, just to keep going. If she fell she would grab onto something and keep going and if her foot slipped she'd use the other to maintain balance. She kept looking forwards as she ran, knowing that if she truly realised the height she was at, she would falter and more than likely be killed.

Or worse.

Her feet somehow managed to miraculously find some form of a branch or foothold to allow her to keep pace as she seemed to fly through the trees. Lifting her arms upwards she grabbed onto a branch and using the moment swung her whole body across to a lower section of the tree tops. Slippery moss covered the wood beneath her feet and caused her to skid downwards on the descending branch. She kept her balance, turning her feet sideways as she would do when standing up on a chocobo.

She could hear thundering footsteps behind her as she leapt onto the forest floor, rolling to soften her fall and continuing to sprint onwards. She ignored the shouts from the four tributes, dodging trunks of trees and jumping over bushes. She could practically feel a very close presence behind her, someone strong and agile. She could see a flash of purple behind her along with a set of determined eyes that made her heart tremble with fear at what he might be so determined to do.

"Fire!" she shouted, throwing a hand over the opposite shoulder as flames shot at the dragoon, causing him to fall back to avoid being scorched. She allowed the corners of her lips to twitch upwards slightly at her small success, pumping her legs even faster, leaving the dragoon to eat her dust.

She couldn't hear anyone behind her and the way her aeons had calmed slightly she could tell she was no longer being chased. She slowed her pace until she came to a complete stop, turning around with her hands raised, a spell ready on her lips just in case she was wrong about her gut instinct.

Garland stood with his allies around fifty feet away, staring at her through the small path through the trees. The woods seemed less dense around her, the trunks of the trees were more spaced out with less bushes and wild flowers, she wondered why. She could see Seifer raise his gun blade, aiming carefully but Garland thrust a giant hand out, stopping him. Yuna lowered her hands in confusion, wondering why he had stopped the gunblade wielder, why his eyes were glinting with evil joy and why they were all staring behind her.

Her answer came in the form of a looming shadow in front of her and an inhuman roar from behind.


	9. A Summoner's Duty

**A/N: Hello! Sorry again for the late update, just got back to school and been really busy with family stuff. Anyways here's the next chapter and hopeyou all enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy or the Hunger Games**

Chapter 9: A Summoner's Duty

"_Protect!_"

Whirling around and crouching with her hands raised she watched as a massive purple-clawed paw collided with her blue barrier. Pain flared through her bones and muscles as she kept up the defensive shield. The sheer force of the blow caused her to fly backwards despite her attempts to stand her ground and a cry of agony escaped her lips as she felt her form collide harshly with the trunk of a tree. Her vision blurred slightly as she raised a hand to the back of her sore head, feeling something warm and sticky. There was no mistaking the red liquid on her fingertips as she took her hand away or that the three large blurred lines heading for her were extremely sharp claws.

Ignoring the pain she rolled to the side as the trunk of the tree took the full damage of the fiend's attack, wood splintering and bits of debris flying through the air. She muttered a small curative spell, feeling her wound heal slightly and leaving only a small throbbing sensation at the back of her head. She took a deep breath through her nose trying to calm her racing heart as she stood up to face the fiend before her.

Her vision sharpened and returned to normal allowing her to study the fiend properly. Her mouth fell open in surprised horror and her stomach dropped when the name echoed in her mind.

_Behemoth._

Giant claws, deep purple fur, a yellow straight-spiked mane and beady black eyes completed its appearance. The fiend loomed above her as it stood on its hind legs, practically blocking out her whole view of the sky and made another swipe at her. She jumped back without thinking and continued to duck and dodge its strong advances as she tried to come up with a plan of getting out of the situation alive.

A growl crawled up her throat as she jumped high over his large paw, twisting her body in mid-air to perform a safe landing in a crouch. "A pair of guns would be super right about now Paine!" she yelled in the hopes of her mentor hearing her from the safety of the hotel in the Capitol.

The colourful language about to explode from her mouth that would make Isaaru gasp was cut off as two paws came at her from both sides. Making a split-second decision, she jumped to the right, kicking off the trunk of a tree and flying towards the behemoth's bent head. She managed to catch the fiend's snout with her foot in a strong kick as she fell past making the fiend cry out in both fury and annoyance. She rolled as her feet touched the ground in order to soften the fall and immediately returned to her ready position in a crouch.

The behemoth reared its head back and roared in frustration as Yuna dodged another one of its strong attempts to massacre her. She watched as it tensed its shoulders, crouched slightly and bent its head before straightening up in one swift movement.

Yuna heard the loud crackling noise and saw the flash of blinding light, but it was too late to cast a protective magical spell as the lightning pierced her body. Her screams echoed through the virtual gaming field as the electricity shocked her agonisingly. She fell to the ground, curling up into a ball as her body began to spasm uncontrollably and screams clawed their way out of her throat rapidly until her voice was hoarse and mouth was dry.

She struggled weakly to try and get to her feet as the large monster grew closer, but fell straight back down, groaning in agony as another wave of pain coursed through her body. Another crackle resounded and a brilliant blinding light in the sky before pain pierced through every pore in her body and caused her insides to feel as though they were exploding repeatedly. Despite the hoarseness of her throat her screams reverberated clearly in the open air as she squeezed her eyes shut through the torture.

She forced her eyes open and her limbs to move as she tried to drag herself away from the approaching beast but every movement sent pain through her body. Her head fell onto the forest floor as her body went limp. But she simply didn't care about it, she didn't care about anything anymore; she just wanted the pain to end, to escape these games, to be reunited with her twin…

Bi-coloured eyes closed and struggles ceased as she awaited her death. She purposefully ignored the raging aeons in her soul, telling her not to be so weak and to get up. Didn't they understand that she simply couldn't _move_? She could hear the beast roar in victory as he picked her up in his huge paw.

Being eaten by a behemoth… what a horrible way to die, but at least she'd be with Lenne soon. Perhaps she wouldn't feel a thing, perhaps it would all be over in a flash…

Her thoughts of death vanished and her eyes shot open in confusion as the behemoth roared in rage as a blue and yellow blur attacked its head. The last thing she saw were two curved flashes of silver before she fell through the beasts claws and plummeted towards the ground.

She didn't even have time to scream as the weightless feeling took over her. She tried to twist in the air so that she'd have some hope of landing smoothly but her bones and muscles refused to operate and obey her commands, leaving her limp and helpless. She cursed them viciously in her mind as her attention returned to the yellow and blue being. What was it anyway?

Her fall suddenly ceased as she felt a strong arm come up under her legs and another under her back. She whimpered in pain at the sudden contact, shockwaves running up and down her form and making her head throb. A short muffled apology was muttered in a masculine voice as her body was shifted slightly and another whimper escaped her lips. Wait why did that deep voice sound so familiar?

Orders were shouted from the man holding her as two other female voices answered the call. The arms tightened around her as she could feel the man move his legs as he sprinted through the forest. Roars could be heard from behind but they began to sound distant, maybe they were getting away from the monster or maybe… maybe she was dying and her senses were fading?

She found herself unconsciously snuggling into the man's chest as his natural scent invaded her nostrils. Why was it so familiar? Who was he? She tried to open her eyes to see his face but only managed to crack them open slightly. All she could see was blonde hair and a determined expression. Her eyelids began to droop and become heavy, she fought to keep them open but the darkness approaching looked so welcoming. She took in the man's scent one last time before fading into unconsciousness and immediately recognised it.

Sea salt and aftershave.

* * *

"Cure."

What was that tingling sensation beneath her skin? Where was it coming from? And who owned the soft voice? Who were they trying to cure? And why was there so much darkness around her? Where were her aeons? Why couldn't she hear them? Where _was_ she?

"Cura."

"It's not working…."

"Keep trying!"

Who was shouting? Why did they sound so desperate? And what wasn't working? Why couldn't she see anything? The darkness suddenly became so cold, she wanted to get out. It was no longer comfortable and warm; it was cold and spiky, like pins and needles. She needed to break free…

"Curaga."

"Don't strain yourself."

"Don't stop! She'll pull through!"

"I don't think she will…"

Two female voices and two male's voices. Who were they? Why did they sound familiar? Did she know these people? Could she reach them? Could she find them? Where were they? She couldn't see with all of this darkness.

"_Curaga!"_ A soft yet determined young girl's voice. What was she trying so hard for?

"She can't do much more for her!" A young boyish voice, it hadn't broken yet. Who was he?

"We can't stop!" That voice… Broken and desperate, she knew it so well…

"We may have to, she's not awakening…" A female voice, soft yet firm and experienced, one of an older teenager.

Who's not awakening? Maybe it was her; she was in the darkness wasn't she? But how did she get there? Claws, purple fur, lightning, blue and yellow and then suddenly sea salt… and aftershave… She had to get out of the darkness, she had to awaken but how could she escape? Wait… was that light? It was white and warm, maybe they were there, maybe if she just reached out…

Blue and green eyes flew open as the young summoner gulped down fresh air, staring dazedly at the darkening sky above. The forest floor beneath her was hard and uncomfortable and her bones felt stiff and sore. A groan of displeasure resounded through her dry throat as she tried to regain control over her disobedient muscles and sit up. A firm arm wrapped around her back and supported her as she managed to set her spine straight.

Looking to her right, oceanic blue eyes met bi-coloured and she couldn't help the huge smile that crept onto her face. His tanned lips stretched into a smile that mirrored hers though his eyes still held anxiety in their sapphire depths.

"Tidus!" She threw her arms around his neck in joy, forgetting about her tiredness and pain, only concentrating on the fact that he was alive and here… with her. He'd found her, just like he'd promised.

"Yuna," he breathed into her hair in relief as he wrapped his own arms around her small waist. She felt shivers run down her spine as his warmth breath ruffled her brown spiky locks and brushed past her ear. "I was so worried you wouldn't make it. I thought you'd… you'd…" he left the statement hanging in the air but Yuna knew exactly what he meant.

"But I didn't," she pulled away and smiled at him, taking in his sun-kissed hair and tanned skin all over again. "I'm alright."

Tidus opened his mouth to say something but a throat was cleared to their right. Both heads turned to see three other tributes standing and patiently watching the reuniting scene unfold. Two girls, one tall one small, the smaller one had long dark hair and dressed in an orange jumpsuit with a white blouse underneath, a crystal hanging on a long chain around her neck. The taller was dressed in skimpy colourful armour that showed her curvy figure and smooth skin. Her sandy brown hair was cropped short and came down to her shoulders. The boy was small, slightly taller than the first girl with brown eyes and long blonde hair tied back into a low pony tail with his bangs slipping down the side. He was dressed in blue and white with to dual-wield daggers gripped loosely in each hand.

She recognised the two shorter tributes as Garnet and Zidane but the name wouldn't come to her on the last tribute. She remembered bumping into her in the opening bloodbath but she just couldn't remember the name…

Tidus let Yuna go and stood up, helping the summoner to her feet as he did so. She tried not to grimace at the sudden movement and discretely clung onto Tidus as a wave of dizziness washed over her. He supported her without difficulty, wrapping an arm around her waist and keeping her steady as he gestured to the other tributes with his free hand. "Yuna this is Garnet, Zidane and Ashe," he introduced them. "They're our allies," he added after he noticed her glance of uncertainty towards the other silent tributes.

Garnet smiled slightly at her, Zidane allowing the corner of his lip to tweak upwards as he nodded whereas Ashe kept a neutral expression, looking the summoner up and down with a judging gaze. Yuna noticed Garnet looked slightly pale and tired. Was she the one who cured her?

"I'd like to thank you…. all of you…" Yuna started to say hesitantly, clasping her hands behind her back. "For saving me," she gave a small smile and a nod to all of them, who simply gave a tiny gesture of acceptance in return.

Ashe stepped forward with a rucksack in her hand and another plain white bag in the other. She gently threw the rucksack to Yuna who caught instinctively. "We managed to salvage your rucksack," she explained and tossed the other bag to Yuna just as she was placing the rucksack over her shoulders. "This came from a sponsor when Garnet was healing you."

Yuna caught the bag with a confused expression adorning her facial features as she peeped into it cautiously. Silver sparkled from the light entering the bag and made her eager to see what she got. She reached in and her hand closed around a familiar object; a handgun. She took two of the light pistols out along with a number of clips of ammo with a tiny note attached to one of the slim clips. She looked at the note curiously and couldn't help but smile when she read it.

_Don't waste it all on one fiend,_

_Paine._

She stored the clips in her hip pouch and tucked the guns into the back of her shorts after slotting a clip into each, ready to be retrieved should an attack come their way. She put the bag and the small note in her rucksack too, who'd know when she may need either.

"We're wasting time here," Ashe stated bluntly as soon as Yuna was finished organising her belongings. "We should start heading towards the goods."

"Goods?" Yuna echoed in a confused voice, her eyes darting from each tribute, including Tidus, for an answer.

Zidane stepped forward and nodded once before explaining. "It was voiced over some kind of intercom that there was a huge stash of supplies at a certain point in the games. This was also sent down to us," here he produced a small map with two locations pin-pointed on it; their current position and the location of the goods. "I'm assuming every tribute got one."

"This happened when I was unconscious?" Yuna queried a bad feeling settling into the pit of her stomach. At the tribute's affirmative nods the feeling just became ten times worse. "It's probably a trap," she voiced her concern. "They want all the tributes in the one place to fight."

"We guessed that too," Garnet agreed with her with a small rueful smile. "But what choice do we have? We barely have any food and we have no water."

"But-" Yuna began to protest however Tidus silenced her as he placed both hands on each of her shoulders and made her look at him directly.

"Yuna…" he chided gently. "We have to get those supplies, if we do it fast and quickly then we may not even run into any of the other tributes," he reassured her with his trademark smile though there was something more gentle about it this time, it made her feel… fuzzy inside. "Are you with me?"

She looked to the others, who had all made their decision by the looks on their faces, before returning her gaze to meet her best friend's. She knew Tidus had a point, they couldn't rely solely on sponsors, they needed to get their own food and water if they wanted to survive, but she had no doubt that all the other tributes would have the same idea. However there were five of them in their group and two of them were white mages so if a fight should occur at least they had a fair chance at surviving.

"Always," she replied giving off her own smile as Tidus' stretched even further and then turned to the others, "let's go."

Ashe gave off an accepting smile that made Yuna feel slightly relieved to know that the teen at least acknowledged her. "We have to get there fast, so it's going to have to be a dead sprint," she explained simply. "But don't worry; I'll take care of that." She held out her hand, palm facing upwards and everyone immediately took her hand, everyone except Yuna who eyed it sceptically.

She kept her hand by her side and watched as Ashe looked up at her expectantly. Tidus seemed to trust her and Yuna rarely doubted his judgement but she still felt uneasy. She knew none of the people before her (except Tidus) and she wasn't just about to trust them. Both Paine and experience had taught her that.

Tidus, noticing her dubious expression gave an easy smile before taking her hand and slowly putting it on top of his which rested over Zidane's and Garnet's. She made no move to take her hand back as his lips began to form an explanation. "Ashe is a time mage, we can trust her."

Yuna concealed her doubt and nodded once as the word, 'haste' left Ashe's lips. A warm feeling spread up her arm and through her entire body, making her feel giddy and jumpy. She felt an adrenaline rush course through her being and felt the need to simply _move._

Without another word they all dashed through the forests at top speed, Zidane leading the way with Garnet at his side. Ashe was directly behind them with Tidus and Yuna bringing up the rear. Dodging through trees and jumping over dips in the earth and small shrubs Yuna couldn't help but smile to herself. She had her best friend back, he'd found her and he'd saved her. She just felt so much better and confident with him around and she knew from her own white magic that the speeding spell sent anyone into a happier mood.

They came to a stop at a small clearing about a half an hour later as the spell wore off. A lake stretched out before them, shielding a manmade island in the middle. The sun was beginning to fall behind the trees, casting eerie shadows along the water's still surface.

"There's the goods!" Garnet exclaimed pointing to the manmade island in the centre of the lake. All heads turned towards the object of the young girl's interest and saw a number of full bags stacked neatly in a small mound on the lush grass of the island.

"And there's our opposition," Ashe added bitterly as two figures emerged from the trees at the opposite side of the lake. One a female with pale skin and light pink hair dressed in armour and carrying a strange looking sword, the other a male with spiky silvery-blue hair dressed in black with a strong build carrying no weapon at all.

"Lightning and Noctis," Tidus muttered adding a curse under his breath.

"We can't fight them, we'd be dead within a matter of seconds," Zidane said his tensed shoulders falling slightly and his grip on his dual-wield daggers loosening. Worry flashed in Garnet's dark eyes as the young girl moved closer to the thief from her Sector, possibly as a means of protection or maybe for support. Yuna silently agreed with the young thief, she knew how well both warriors could fight and since both wielded swords she didn't stand much of a chance, nor did Garnet.

"We may not have to," Ashe said pointing to another area of trees. "Look."

Four pairs of eyes followed her finger just in time to see Garland's group coming out of the forest near to where Lightning and Noctis stood studying the lake. Yuna felt Ifrit's rage burn within her at the sight of the heavily armoured jerk but she forced herself to remain calm, she had to keep a level head.

"We might have a worse fight," Garnet murmured and as Yuna followed her gaze she felt her throat constrict tightly so that she had to nearly gasp for air. There stood Cloud, tall and emotionless with his buster sword resting firmly on his back. Yuna couldn't believe how close he was to them but if he had noticed their presence beforehand he did a great job of hiding his knowledge; his gaze focused solely on the supplies.

Ashe cast another 'haste' spell on herself and turned around quickly to face them. "I'll get to the island and throw the goods back to you, so get ready to run," she ordered but Yuna stretched a hand out to grab onto her arm halting the time mage's actions.

"Wait," she said, ignoring Ashe's confused and slightly irritated look. Her gaze drifted past the time mage and towards the lake's surface, trying to see beneath the water but failing due to the reflection of the descending sun. "Something's not right."

"What do you mean 'something's not right'?" Ashe questioned impatiently shaking Yuna's grip off.

Yuna simply shook her head at a loss as to how to answer the other tribute. "Something about the lake… it just feels… off," she explained lamely with a shy shrug of her shoulders. She looked back to the other tributes for support but they all shared the same doubtful expression. "Can't you feel it?"

"You're probably just nervous," Ashe replied with a small smile though it looked forced to Yuna. "Get ready to catch," she called back over her shoulder as she began to enter the water.

Yuna wanted to call to her to come back but the words seemed to get lodged in her throat and wouldn't come out. The feeling… that unnatural feeling coming from the lake grew stronger until she felt like getting sick. She knew she was right there was something about that lake… something there that just shouldn't be there, that should've passed on.

She sprinted towards Ashe who had only come up to her knees in the water and wrapped two frim arms under the girl's armpits and pulled her back with force. Both girls stumbled backwards just as a tentacle flew out of the water and slammed down on where Ashe had been standing only a second ago, before sliding slowly back into the water. Yuna dragged the shocked girl back to their party, grunting with effort when Ashe did nothing to help her before gently setting her on the ground.

"Unsent," Yuna muttered to herself, thanking Yevon that she had acted on her feeling. She noticed Tidus suck in a breath at her statement whereas the others just looked confused. She straightened noticing that the other tributes were looking between her group and the lake with weary eyes.

"We should just go," Tidus said helping Ashe to her feet and turning to leave but Yuna stopped him, a determined expression etching her features.

"We came here for supplies and we will leave with supplies," she said firmly, before her voice softened so that only Tidus could hear her. "I can't just leave that soul to linger in this world; you know it's my duty to guide the dead."

"You can't help everyone Yuna," Tidus argued with her in a harsh whisper that made her heart clench as she flinched at his tone. She gave him a look that pleaded with him to understand her, she had to do this, she was a summoner she could not just abandon the helpless.

When Tidus made no move to let her make her own decision her expression changed from begging to determination. "I can try," she replied calmly yet firmly before taking off her boots and handing them to Tidus. "Hold these," she turned towards the lake and began to walk to the shore, pausing as the water tickled her toes with its cold embrace.

A hand wrapped around her bicep and stopped her approach, she knew it was Tidus' without even looking around, she would know his touch from anywhere, she'd become so accustomed to it. She turned her head to face him and a stab of pain pierced her heart at the silent plea in his eyes. She gave a small smile and gently took his hand away giving it a small squeeze as she did so. "They deserve to pass on," she said softly, hoping he'd understand and let her go.

He looked as though he was about to argue but he closed his mouth and gave a small nod, stepping back a fraction before murmuring, "be careful Yuna."

She nodded once and turned back to face the awaiting lake. She took a deep breath, calming her mind and relaxing her senses feeling the serene power gather at her fingertips. It was a pity she didn't have a staff, she'd never accomplished this without one or without supervision but there was always a first time for everything.

She lifted a foot slowly out in front placing her toe gently on the water's surface and then lowering her heel once she felt she could balance properly on the liquid. She ignored the bewildered stares from all the other tribute and continued outwards, positioning her arms as though she was holding a staff. She paused when she was halfway to the island, closing her eyes and focusing on her other senses, hearing the sound of the water lapping against the shore, its rhythm steady like a heart pulse and feeling its currents beneath her feet, waiting for a change in the balanced flow.

She tried her best not to look to her right, knowing that Cloud was probably watching her. She wanted to see if he looked surprised or if there was even the smallest change in his facial features but she knew if she looked she would lose her concentration. She had to keep her focus on the lake.

The lapping became uneven and the current changed dramatically causing her to start the dance. She twirled out of the way as a tentacle broke to the surface but wrapped only around air, missing its target. She arced her back and dipped her head as a two tentacles swung above her and allowed her moment to carry her into a backflip as a third slimy limb burst from the surface where she had just been standing.

Her eyes opened as she continued to twirl, jump and flip her way gradually towards the island, always holding a firm control over the holy power and making sure she never lost concentration over her dance. Pyreflies began to explode from the surface of the water causing gasps to resound from the other tributes as they spiralled into the night air.

A roar caused ripples to gather on the lake as the unsent in the form of a fiend finally reared its head, enraged that it was being guided towards its final resting place. Yuna took a quick second to take in its vulgar appearance before continuing to dance and dodge. The swamp-coloured malboro cast every one of its eyes on the summoner before trying to hit her with numerous tentacles.

Here she added a twist to her dance, producing her tiny-bee pistols from her back pocket and shooting each tentacle with a single bullet as she began to rise high above the lake's surface on a fountain of water, twirling in sync with the spouting liquid. Each bullet connected with its target, making it explode into pyreflies and disperse into the dark sky, until none remained.

Finally the fountain beneath her exploded sending her sailing over the malboro's head. Twisting her body in mid-air she released the rest of her bullets on the fiend, before somersaulting backwards in mid-air and landing neatly in a crouching position on the ground, head bent down and arms spread out wide for balance.

She raised her head as the fiend dissolved into pyreflies, leaving a lone figure crouching on the water's surface in front of her. Silver hair shielded his face but two mako eyes shone through the glossy curtain before their light faded. Yuna's eyes grew wide as she recognised the lone figure before her and a small gasp escaped her lips.

Kadaj raised his head to her slightly, his limbs weak and his eyes sad yet grateful as the last of the glow was washed away from their cyan depths. The corners of his lips twitched upwards as his mouth formed two silent words before he faded into pyreflies.

_Thank you._

"Rest," Yuna whispered to the wind that carried the last remains of the pyreflies away into the night before turning towards the goods. She knew she had to hurry, no doubt now that the way was clear the other tributes would be dying to get their hands on the goods.

Acting quickly she grabbed two bags and tossed them back to the rest of her group, hoping to Yevon that they'd close their hanging mouths and regain their senses before the rest of the tributes. Zidane was the first to catch on, catching both bags and giving the others a small push or prod to get going. Ashe recovered from her own shock just as quick and caught another two bags thrown from Yuna. Tidus and Garnet followed suit as another two bags were launched over the lake and Yuna hefted the last bag over her shoulder, she rushed over the surface of the water, feeling her foot slip below the surface sometimes due to lack of concentration.

She could see the tributes begin to sprint towards where her allies were waiting for her from the corner of her eye. Everyone had their weapons out and shouting their battle cries as they grew dangerously close to her group. Her concentration broke slightly as she stumbled when her foot slipped deep under the surface, but caught herself just in time.

"Go! Just run!" she shouted at them as she began to sprint again but they did not obey her command. Although they all bore worried and anxious expressions, none moved to leave her behind.

"C'mon! C'mon Yuna!" Garnet screams came to her ear and she saw they all had their hands on top of Ashe's whose face was scrunched up in concentration. She picked up her pace, coming dangerously close to losing every shred of her concentration but she managed to stay on top as she came upon dry land.

No sooner had she thrown her hand down on top of Tidus' had Ashe shouted "Haste!" and the same hot hyper feeling had coursed through her limbs. She could hear other tributes shouting in outrage very close to them as they began to sprint through the forest and away from the lake. Tidus grabbed her hand in his; holding on tightly and dragged her after him since even with the haste effect he was still a lot faster than she was.

They never stopped sprinting even when they could no longer hear any of the tributes behind them but when they grew tired and weary as the spell wore off they finally stopped, all falling to the ground and trying to get their breath back. Yuna fell in a very ungraceful heap on the ground beside Tidus, leaning her head on his shoulder out of sheer tiredness. He sighed heavily as the dead weight was added onto his own but made no move to shift her out of the way.

Garnet was the first of them to speak after minutes of silence. "We got the goods…" she said with a shaky laugh.

"Yeah… thanks to Yuna," Zidane added, sitting up to give Yuna a small yet unsure smile.

Ashe sat up to her left and looked at her with slight suspicion and curiosity. "What… what was that?" she asked hesitantly, wrapping her arms around her legs and shifting slightly so that she was facing Yuna. Yuna sat up and looked head on at the girl as she began to speak again. "I mean… we saw Kadaj… but he… he died three years ago."

Yuna nodded her head once understanding their confusion. "He was unsent," she explained softly. "The dead need guidance to the farplane, sometimes if one simply refuses to die in their time of death, they suppress the urge to travel to the final resting place and stay in this world. They begin to envy the living and become twisted creatures that feel nothing. A sending must be performed to help the lost souls travel to the farplane to rest eternally."

"What were the sparkling orbs that exploded from him?" Garnet asked before Ashe could ask another question. Yuna smiled softly at the way the young girl's eyes were wide with curiosity and had a thousand other questions swimming in their dark irises.

"Pyreflies," Yuna answered with a small shrug of her shoulders. "It's hard to explain what they are exactly… they're like… our spiritual energy. The energy contained in our soul, in the souls of every living thing… or once living thing."

"So Kadaj… was unsent and now he's sent?" Zidane asked, a confused look gracing his boyish features. "Does that make you a sender or something?"

The answer lodged in her throat as she was about to explain about her summoning talents and she closed her mouth shut. There wasn't any reason that she shouldn't tell them of her profession, it wasn't as though she was ashamed of being a summoner… far from it but she still had this nagging feeling that no one should ever know what she could truly do. These weren't her friends, these were her _allies_ and she had to keep information to a minimum.

Thankfully Tidus must've had the same idea. "You know…" he began cutting into the conversation with ease as he rummaged through one of his bags and took out some of the food. "I say we forget about our worries for one night and celebrate with a feast."

Zidane looked slightly perplexed by the idea of a mini party when they were all so close to their deaths but his features softened as Garnet laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Food… sounds nice right about now, don't you think?" she goaded him successfully, batting her dark lashes at him while flashing a sweet innocent smile.

Ashe dropped the subject of Yuna's abilities and heritage and nodded her head in agreement. "Casting spells does take it out of you," she said as she started to take some food out of her own bag. "But if we're going to eat anything we should start with the fruit, it's perishable."

Yuna smiled warmly, fetching an apple out of her own bag as each tribute held up their own as if they were drinks.

"To a successful heist?" Tidus joked with his usual grin plastered across his face.

"To a successful heist!" they chorused banging their fruit together in a small gesture of celebration as they all took a large bite.

Yuna felt a warm feeling envelope her and not because of the fact that the apple tasted so sweet and juicy, though it did help, but because she felt a sense of table fellowship in the air just as it had been back at home. Although it was nothing compared to the feeling of being with her own bickering Al Bheds back at home…

It was a nice substitute.


	10. One Day At A Time

**A/N: Hello again! Sorry this update's so late but some of this chapter was just really hard to write in such a way that I'm not giving too much away and all that. Anyways enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy or the Hunger Games**

Chapter 10: One Day At A Time

Of all the things Yuna thought she'd feel through the course of the games, she'd never thought she'd feel this. The feeling that was settling into the bottom of her stomach and grating away at her mind as she walked through the forest along with her group. Every tree looked the same, every root looked similar to the last and the dullness was tearing at her nerves making her feel sluggish and worn down.

Boredom.

She was unbelievably bored.

They had been walking for three days now since her sending and they'd only come across a fiend once and Zidane and Tidus had swiftly taken care of it. Her feet had pained her at first which surprised her since she had been trained to perform a summoning on any type of landscape and she really shouldn't have felt any pain at all. They had been throbbing not only an hour ago but now they were numb, void of any pain or feeling whatsoever. The process of putting one foot in front of the other without stepping on anything that could threaten her balance had become second nature to her now that she didn't even have to think about where to put her foot on the forest floor. She hadn't tripped just yet but it could well happen soon.

"You seem to be very close," Garnet's soft voice came from her left. Yuna turned to look down at the small girl, taking the chance to marvel at how dark her eyes were; if she looked close enough, she could see her image reflected in their dark orbs. "You and Tidus," she added after a short pause, her face holding a neutral yet kind expression.

Yuna allowed a small smile to grace her lips though it held sadness as she looked at the back of her best friend's spiky head of sun-kissed blonde hair. She returned her gaze to back to Garnet and nodded her head slowly. "We've always been really close," she replied softly. "We've nearly always been joined at the hip. It's not surprising since we grew up together… back in Besaid," a lump lodged itself in her throat as memories of her home flashed through her mind but she swallowed hard and continued on. "He used to always stick up for me when my older sister wasn't around and he used to always cheer me up when I was upset or when I hurt myself, or when Isaaru's training was especially harsh or when I was exhausted after practising spells. He tried to teach me how to play blitzball and how to use a sword and he never ever got mad when I couldn't do it or when I hit him with the ball by accident…" she trailed off and smiled sheepishly at Garnet, a slight rosy blush staining her cheeks. "Sorry for rambling."

"It's ok, I understand," Garnet said with a small smile of her own. A red-gloved hand reached up and wiped a tear from her cheek that Yuna hadn't even known she'd shed. Garnet's dark eyes shifted to the left then to the right before they returned to Yuna as she lowered her voice sot that only the two white mages could hear. "Zidane and I are the same. Don't tell anyone but… before I met him, I led a really sheltered life, I was a princess and he was a thief, we should never have consorted with one another but…" here she smiled slightly, her gaze flickering to the thief walking beside Tidus before it returned to Yuna, "he really changed my life. I don't know where I'd be without him…"

"I know the feeling," Yuna gave the younger teenager an understanding smile. She wasn't too surprised to hear that Garnet was of royal blood, when Yuna had first met her she had instantly noticed the way her posture was perfect and how she was so soft-spoken and mannerly. Even walking alongside the girl she'd noticed how unaware she was of the world around her and the way she sometimes marvelled at the sight of the towering trees or fiends. She had suspected that Garnet had come from a rich background but the thought of her being a princess hadn't crossed the summoners mind at all.

Her heart went out to Garnet though, despite the fact that the girl was in a place where it was either kill or be killed Garnet still looked like she was enjoying the small shred of freedom she was experiencing and the fact that she could talk to other people and just be normal for once – well as normal as one could be when in the games. Yuna knew how hard it was to be a figure that people looked up to and the pressure it came with, having to look perfect and act mannerly and always having to be protected and supervised. Granted Garnet's situation was probably ten times worse than her own, the priests in the Temple hadn't been too strict; after all they had let her live with a bunch of Al Bheds.

"Yuna?" Garnet questioned hesitantly getting the summoner's attention once more. "Do you ever… do you ever wish… that you and Tidus… you know…" A blush stained the fair skin of her cheeks as she stuttered through her question. "Could be more than… just friends?"

Yuna didn't answer the young girl straight away, lost in her thoughts as she tried to truthfully answer the question. She had to admit, she had thought about it, what it would be like to have Tidus as a boyfriend and maybe… well eventually a possible husband. Would they be happy like that? Did he even think such thoughts? Everyone at home used to tease them about it, saying they'd get married someday, she knew the priests wouldn't approve, they'd want her to marry a rich maester or another summoner rather than a blitzer. But what did she want? If she and Tidus had never come to the games, would they have gotten married? Would he commit to her even knowing what she had to do?

"Sometimes… I do," Yuna answered the patient girl slowly, choosing her words carefully as she shifted the rucksack on her shoulder into a more comfortable position. "But sometimes… I don't… It's complicated. Tidus… he'd make a great husband and father, I have no doubt that he'd take care of me for the rest of our lives but…" she trailed off casting a sorrowful glance towards her best friend before he eyes lowered to the ground as she walked on. "I just… I couldn't put him through that…"

Garnet gave her a confused almost horrified look. "What do you mean? I mean…" she hesitated a sheepish smile creeping onto her face as she let a small giggle escape from her lips, "you couldn't be that bad."

Yuna gave off a small laugh that held no humour the same way her smile held no warmth. "No… it's not that I'd be a terrible wife or anything like that, I just…" she let her sentence stretch off once more, afraid to give off to much information about her abilities and personal life. "People like me… we… we don't live… normal lives and… we don't live for very long. I guess… I just wouldn't let him commit to me if I couldn't return that commitment."

She let out a soft shaky breath as she finished her shady explanation. She couldn't reveal everything to the young girl; they had enough on their plate already neither needed to be thinking depressing thoughts about their duties. But even walking alongside the young mage, a thought kept nagging at her mind. Why bother to survive the games? Why bother to try and live when she'd only die in the future? Why try to prolong her fate? She couldn't change it, it was already sealed.

It was extremely tempting, to just lay back and die. She was carrying guns, wasn't she? All she had to do was raise the barrel to her temple and pull the trigger, it would be all over then. No more pain, no more fighting, no more watching people die just eternal rest, just reuniting with her family. Why not simply act on her thoughts and end it all?

She hadn't even realised she had been staring fondly at the pistol in her hands until the cool metal accidently brushed against the exposed skin of her abdomen, sending shivers up her spine and returning her to reality. She shook her head in an attempt to rid her mind of her dark thoughts and lowered the gun back to her side, finger off the trigger.

She couldn't simply end it here, Tidus would be heartbroken at the loss of his best friend and no doubt Rikku, Cid, Brother and Isaaru were watching this back at home. She had promised to end the spiral of death in their family, she had promised to bring hope to them, she couldn't just go back on that, she never broke her promises.

And then there was Paine, Lulu, Auron and Shelinda, even Zack! People who had helped her and been kind to her and trained her to survive the games, who had believed in her… well maybe not Auron at first but he had said he'd been wrong about her so she'd counted that as his subtle way of saying he believed in her. She couldn't simply let them down and she couldn't let her sponsors down.

Besides she couldn't simply abandon her duty as a summoner, she had sworn an oath when she had become a full-fledged caller of the aeons and that was one thing she would never turn her back on, no matter how dark the situation.

"I see…" Garnet eventually said breaking Yuna out of her thoughts. Although she claimed she understood by the look on her face Yuna didn't think that she really made sense of any of her words at all. "So if you can… never be with the person you love then… why bother? Is that right?" Her voice cracked slightly and even though the young girl tried to keep her expression neutral, the way her eyebrows slanted and bottom lip stuck out told Yuna she was failing. "I mean, why bother to tell them… what could've been and… what might've been when it can never happen… right?" She asked again, her dark brown eyes shining in the fading sunlight as droplets of unshed tears began to gather at the corners.

Yuna's heart wrenched at the sight of the young girl beside her, understanding her situation completely and knowing exactly who she was talking about. Even though she hadn't known the girl for long, she still wrapped an arm around her small shoulder and pulled her close to her body as a means of comfort. Garnet did nothing to fight the embrace and leant into the summoner's petite frame as a tear escaped from her eye.

"You know…" Yuna said softly as the sun began to dip behind the far off hills casting beautiful autumn colours across the darkening sky. "In these games… what you were before doesn't really matter, here we're all equals; we're all just teenagers who are just trying to survive. You're not a princess and Zidane's not a thief, you're both just tributes. So… if you really love him, then… go for it."

Garnet pulled away slightly to look up at the summoner, a small bit of hope flickering in her eyes but dying quickly as her face fell once more. "But only one of us… will survive-"

"One day at a time Garnet," Yuna interrupted her softly, giving the white mage a small smile of support. "Just take it one day at a time."

Garnet looked down, seemingly lost in her thoughts as both girls clung to one another for support while walking. Neither of the boys noticed their little moment nor did Ashe who was leading the troop ahead towards high ground. Yuna felt Garnet's arm tighten around her waist from the side and she gave the girl's shoulder a small squeeze in response. She knew she was treading on dangerous waters by acting so friendly and discussing such personal matters with another opponent, Paine was probably hacking away at a dummy shaped like Shelinda because of her actions but she couldn't help it. She just needed someone to lean on too at that moment.

"Dagger," Garnet finally broke the long comfortable silence.

"What?"

"Zidane calls me that sometimes," Garnet replied shifting slightly to look at Yuna. "You can too."

Yuna gave the girl a small smile as they continued to walk on towards where Tidus, Ashe and Zidane had stopped, probably to set up camp for the night. The young white mage nuzzled closer to Yuna, taking comfort in her natural scent and body warmth as the summoner hugged her closer.

"Alright, Dagger," Yuna whispered softly never seeing the small smile of joy that crept onto the girl's lips.

* * *

A cloudless night sky filled with bright stars looked down upon the small group of tributes. The cool breeze whistled through the trees and rustled the leaves, breaking the eerie silence of the twilight hour. A small fire flickered in the centre of their makeshift camp, giving the tributes a small bit of warmth and light as they huddled around in blankets.

Ashe had volunteered to take the first watch while Zidane perched himself up on a high branch as a second lookout with Dagger by his side. Yuna had to smile to herself as she noticed Zidane's tail discreetly wrap around Dagger's waist and pull her closer to him while the young girl blushed madly but smiled happily all the same.

Yuna was curled up at the base of a tree near the fire with a blanket wrapped around her. Tidus shared the blanket with her, his face looking so relaxed and childlike as he slept, his head resting comfortably in her lap. She played with his spiky hair as he snored softly, looking for a small task to do as sleep evaded her. She didn't know whether it was from her aeons being on constant alert, knowing their summoner was still in dangerous territory or whether it was her own nerves keeping her awake. She sent a silent plea to the fayth praying they'd give it a break and let her catch a small bit of sleep but her prayers went unanswered.

She rubbed her eyes tiredly as Tidus groaned in displeasure in his sleep when she stopped stroking his hair. She let a soft giggle escape her lips at his unconscious antics and resumed the task of soothing him while he slept. It soothed her too, to know that he was safe and well and in her company and the fact that she couldn't hear fiends roaming around as she had over the past few nights only helped her calm aura. Even though she wasn't sleeping, she still felt as though she was regaining lost energy from their long daytime travelling and for the moment that was good enough for her.

She stared at the fire for some time, simply watching as the flames twirled upwards creating puffs of smoke that drifted off into the night air, disappearing into the deep black sky to join the stars. She found her free hand unconsciously moving in sync with the flames, twisting them and curling them in her own way. She really appreciated Lulu's training in the arts of black magic, books had helped her a lot too but without Lulu she'd be at a complete loss. The black mage had given her so many tips about how to work with the elements, that spells were far more powerful when you treated the elements as equals not as slaves.

Like fire; it's hot and fiery and runs its own course. Work with it and it will warm you, abuse it and it will burn you. You can't control it; you must simply guide it, encourage it to run your way. Every element is different, for water you must be flexible, for ice, strong and solid, for thunder, sharp and precise and for fire light yet firm with a touch of gentleness.

She'd mastered the most basic forms of the four, and had some experience of them in their second levels but water by far was her best element, it felt like… home.

Happy thoughts of the life she left behind entered her mind as her eyelids started to droop and her hand ceasing its movement. The sea, the sunset, the sand beneath her feet as she watched Tidus play blitzball, it all felt so real…

_Beware Yuna,_ Valefor's soft girlish voice broke into her thoughts though the young fayth sounded on edge and weary. Her eyes opened wide as she sat bolt upright, disturbing the blitzer on her lap but never noticing. _She grows closer…_

_Who?_ Yuna questioned anxiously, shivers running up and down her spine as goose bumps appeared on her skin. Something about the way she could feel Valefor's wings shifting tensely in her soul sent cold fear into her heart.

Her surroundings faded around her, as did Tidus' confused expression. She could hear his voice calling her name but it sounded as if it were coming from the bottom of a well and it was slowly getting quieter and quieter until she could no longer hear him.

Darkness surrounded her, there was no ground beneath her feet yet she was floating as Vaelfor's fayth appeared in front of her, glowing slightly. The other fayth stood – or rather floated – behind the young girl, each expression neutral yet guarded though the thick tension in the air betrayed their feelings.

_It will not keep secrets from its true owner, despite its unreal state, _Valefor continued on as though she had not spoken at all, her voice sounding distant and hauntingly fearful.

_True owner? Unreal state? What?_ Yuna continued to ask, closing her eyes and breathing deeply despite her rising panic. She focused fully on her aeons' voices and feelings just as Isaaru had taught her. The uneasiness of their instincts nearly made her gasp for breath as waves of alarm rolled over her. She took a final deep breath and released it slowly, calming down her aeons slightly.

_This gaming field isn't real, Yuna,_ Shiva's firm, wise voice came into her mind, crystal clear but the summoner could sense a tone of fear lying beneath her feminine voice. _It's made purely from new technology, nothing but an illusion._

_So… you're talking about the field in general?_ Yuna tried to make sense of her aeons words and discover what exactly they meant by 'it'. _The trees, the plants, the earth and the sky?_

_Not the sky, the sky is not part of her domain,_ Shiva responded almost instantly, each word sending shivers through Yuna's body due to her cold breath.

_Who is she?_ She asked her voice quivering slightly. Her aeons' neutral expressions became suddenly fearful as they faded from her vision and images of fire and earth forced their way into her mind. The smoke, the heat, the weight pulling her down… it was just too much. Her concentration was lost completely as her panic finally broke to the surface and her aeons faded. Her breathing started to come in harsh, laboured gasps of air and her throat ran dry like the sands of the Bikanel desert.

She forced her eyes to open and release her from the torturous nightmares and concerned blue ones met hers though for once they did nothing to calm her down. Even though his mouth was moving, she still couldn't hear him, only one voice rang in her mind; Bahamut's voice.

_Run._

* * *

For about the millionth time that day he sighed in annoyance.

He always guarded his emotions around others, especially those he didn't know but now that he was alone, watching the small group huddled around the campfire he could express them more leniently. There were only a few people who had ever really seen him annoyed or angry and even fewer had seen him happy or excited. His partner from his Sector had tried to get some emotional response out of him but to no avail although she had come close to it. His mentor had gotten a laugh out of him, he was one of the only people he could really show emotion to easily and voluntarily.

He pushed his thoughts of the three weeks before the games from his mind and continued to watch the girl with sandy hair patrol the perimeter. He was waiting for the tall girl to come around his way so he could stealthily take her out without her comrades knowing.

However she was taking her sweet time.

He sighed in annoyance once more, but remained still and quiet, concealed by both the shadows and the bushes. He could see the supplies from where he was crouching and his stomach rumbled at the thought of food. He hadn't eaten in over a day and his insides were paying the price, however he mentally shushed it and continued to observe and judge the group.

The smallest girl with the dark hair cuddled up to the monkey boy was no threat to him, she'd be easy enough to kill should she put up a fight and he should be able to best the boy beside her and the girl who was scouting easily in a fair fight. The blonde blitzer may pose a slight threat, he'd been studying him in the training at the Capitol and noticed how fast he was despite his strong build, though he didn't think that the blonde would be able to kill him either.

Finally his eyes rested on the sleeping teen which the blonde's head rested in. He slept happily as the girl played with his hair, eyes focused fully on the fire. He watched in interest as she moved her hand delicately out in front of her, the glow of the fire reflecting in her eyes as she rested her back against the trunk of the tree.

He didn't know what it was about her that he found so interesting, even before they entered the games his eyes always seemed to train on her, both consciously and unconsciously. She was just so hard to figure out, like a puzzle. When he'd first seen her, from the window of his hotel room as he watched all the tributes arrive, she'd seemed quiet and shy and in a way… delicate, nothing at all like her mentor, Paine. But then, she had almost seemed to shed her skin in training, showing a side to her that no one knew as she used her guns to target dummies.

What surprised him the most was when she protected Sector Eight's tribute against Garland's harassments. She didn't have to do it, yet she did and had even managed to get under the brute's skin with confidence that had come practically out of nowhere. The fact that she was a good six inches or so shorter than Garland yet glaring defiantly as though oblivious to such a detail had earned her a small bit of respect from him. Just a bit though.

But even now he couldn't figure her out, as he watched her eyelids slowly droop and eventually close completely. She was shy on her arrival then confident at the parade, fierce in training then sweet in the interviews, calm around allies yet wild around enemies. He'd even heard that she'd attacked the Turks and at first he hadn't believed it but now he was beginning to doubt his judgement.

He felt that he could best her in a fight but she always seemed to be full of surprises, he had never suspected her to be capable of holding up garland's sword nor did he expect her to be able to walk on water. He had thought she'd fight the malboro but instead she'd… danced? Of course she had shot the malboro and it had exploded into some kind of stars but then Kadaj had appeared. He died years ago in the games so how had he come back? Was she some kind of a necromancer? But why would she kill someone she'd resurrected? What was she trying to prove?

He found himself growing even more annoyed at the fact that she was simply unsolvable. He wasn't stupid, he knew his left from his right but her… nothing and that alone made him simply want to know her. She seemed to have this aura about her, it was strong and calm… almost sacred. He'd only really experienced this feeling from one other person but even then, it wasn't as strong as this.

His attention had drifted completely away from the girl scouting the perimeter of their camp as he watched a troubled expression cross the girl's face before she sat bolt right up, her eyes flying open in an expression of alarm. He raised a curious eyebrow at her strange actions before shifting into a more comfortable crouching position and watching the scene unfold.

The blitzer, his slumber now disturbed, sat up with her as worry flashed in his eyes. He placed a tanned hand on her shoulder, shaking her slightly but it didn't do any good, her eyes continued to stare straight ahead, unfocused before closing as she took deep breaths.

The blitzer became more alarmed and sat on his knees in front of her, grabbing both her shoulders and shaking her a bit more harshly while calling out to her. "Yuna? Yuna!? Yuna, wake up!"

_Yuna…_ the name was unusual yet it suited her all the same. He could remember her name from the interviews with Reno but somehow with all the running and fighting he'd been doing, it had simply slipped to the back of his mind. It had been on the tip of his tongue as he'd watched her dance on the lake's surface yet he couldn't seem to get it out. It was almost as if he had been in a trance, watching her twirl on a fountain as though she had done so her whole life. Perhaps she had.

Her eyes suddenly opened again and the rest of her party had gathered around to see what was wrong. It was the perfect opportunity to steal the goods and run off before they even noticed and he wouldn't even have to kill anyone, it wasn't that he had a problem with killing others he just wanted to avoid it if possible and now he had his chance!

But he never took it; his eyes were glued to Yuna as she gasped for air. Had she had a nightmare or something? Beads of sweat had gathered on her forehead as she coughed, her shoulders shaking as she tried to support herself. The blitzer held her around the shoulders as her coughing ceased and he tried to console her but she pushed him off and stood to her feet, slightly wobbly at first but maintaining her balance.

"We have to leave," she blurted out suddenly. The other tributes looked at her in confusion as did he. Had she seen him? No, she couldn't have, he was quieter than any average human and practically undetectable when he wanted to be. Could she sense him or something? Was that even possible for a human like her?

Then a new thought crossed his mind, was she even human? Was she genetically altered as members of SOLDIER? Was she injected with cells of Jenova and infused with mako? He wished he could see her eyes again, just to see if there was the familiar eerie glow but the fire reflected in them obscured his vision of their colour. Or maybe she belonged to that mythical race of people, maybe she was a part of the Ancients…

"Grab the supplies and put out the fire," she continued on, picking up her bags and hefting them over her shoulder before turning back to her teammates. "We need to move now!"

The patroller stepped forward with a dubious expression in her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Something's coming, another tribute," Yuna explained hastily as she packed up the other bags. When she noticed her team hadn't moved a look of desperation entered her eyes and her voice took on a pleading tone. "We're about to be ambushed, we need to get away from here!"

"How do you know?" the monkey boy asked, his arm wrapped noticeably around the youngest girl who leaned into his embrace.

He found himself leaning forward with interest, anticipating Yuna's answer, maybe this would be the answer to his puzzle, maybe he wouldn't have to figure her out, she could simply tell him… unknowingly.

The gunner looked like she was hiding something as her eyes darted to the floor and she began to nibble on her bottom lip in a cute manner. It was evident the only answer she could think of to his question was the truth but she didn't want to tell it.

Much to his annoyance the blitzer decided to answer for her. "She can sense things," he explained vaguely with a shrug of his shoulders.

"She's never been wrong before?"

He looked her dead in the eye and shook his head. "Never." With that, he picked up two of the bags and hefted them over his shoulder and looked to the other tributes with a raised brow, obviously coaxing them to follow suit.

The young girl seemed to trust Yuna as she left the comfort of her boyfriend's embrace and picked up her own bag, a determined look in her dark eyes. "I trust her," she looked to the two remaining tributes with a tilt of her head. "She can explain in detail later."

Yuna nodded once in appreciation and picked up a bag to her left, tossing it to the young boy who caught it and gave a silent nod of acceptance as he reached for another. Ashe however remained still, suspicion written all over her face.

He strained to hear them more clearly and that's when he heard the click. It was so soft and quiet that no ordinary human would've heard it. He tensed and kept his eyes on the opposite side of the forest where it came from. Yuna must've sensed something too by the way her shoulders tensed and she pulled her twin pistols out from the back of her boy shorts, squinting into the dimly lit trees.

A flash of silver reflected against the moonlight and caught both Cloud and Yuna's eyes, forgetting about his cover he threw himself to the ground on his stomach as the sound of gun being shot echoed through the quiet night and Yuna's body hit the ground.


	11. She Did It For Love

**A/N: To all those who are still reading my story I am so sorry. I really didn't mean to take this long to upload another chapter but I just had so much on my mind between family drama and overdue projects and then I had writer's block and then my laptop broke because my antivirus wasn't working and I had to download a new one… Anyway please forgive me and I promise to **_**update **__**at least**_**once every 2-3 weeks.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy or the Hunger Games.**

Chapter 11: She Did It For Love

Pain coursed through her body as she hit the ground in an awkward position. Her neck strained and her shoulder clicked when she landed on both first, she sent a quick thank you to Yevon that she hadn't broken any bones as she scrambled to her feet.

The leather handles of her guns rubbing against the palm of her hand sent a small feeling of security run through her as she watched the chaos unfold around her. Despite the fact that she had weapons and training, she still felt helpless and lost as everyone seemed to be in combat with another. She didn't know who to help first.

Ashe was lying unmoving on the floor and Yuna decided that the young warrior needed her assistance more than the others. She ran over to the girl, evading the battles around her and shook the girl slightly in an attempt to wake her up. Yuna wasn't even sure if she was breathing and unfortunately her suspicions were confirmed when she saw the bullet hole in the side of Ashe's head.

Unshed tears lined her bottom eyelids but with determined blinks she pushed them back and stood to her full height. She could only hope to Yevon that Ashe's soul would move on by itself to the farplane as she quickly observed the activities around her. There was no time to send anyone now.

Tidus had currently unsheathed his sword and was successfully dodging and blocking every fatal blow Kain, the purple dragoon, was throwing at him. It was slightly mesmerising to watch the two, their movements precise and so swift that they seemed to become a blur of purple and blue and yellow. However she was jarred back to reality when Dagger's scream pierced her ears.

She whirled around so quickly she nearly lost her balance in the process and nearly screamed herself at the scene in front of her.

Dagger had tears streaming down her cheeks as her big brown eyes stared disbelievingly at the sight before her. Despair and sorrow was etched all over her face making Yuna's heart wrench with pity. She knelt down completely ignoring Garland and Gabranth and hugged Zidane's battered bloody body to her chest. His dead eyes stared up at the young girl as his crimson blood leaked onto her clothes, creating dark stains. Dagger's lips were moving even as they trembled and white magic kept sparking at her fingertips but dying down again, showing the spell was useless in the current situation. It was then Yuna realised what she was casting.

Life…

Yuna could feel it then, she could feel Zidane's soul leave his body but lingering slightly. She mentally urged him to move on, to travel safely to the farplane, to not become unsent. However it did no good, although his soul had separated from his body, it remained hanging in the air, like a forgotten lantern.

It was a strange feeling to have. She'd never experienced anything like this before, where she could actually sense a soul departing. Although she couldn't see it, she just knew he was there. She found herself losing control of her limbs as her hand reached out and touched the aura of his soul from a far. Bright light exploded from her fingertips and Zidane's form appeared for everyone to see.

Garland and Gabranth jumped back in shock as colourful inhuman patterns ran over the deceased boy's body. Zidane looked down to the ashen girl who was looking at him with eyes containing awe and hope as she hugged his previous form to her chest still. Zidane's spirit gently caressed a hand across the girl's cheek and seemed to smile, if not slightly sadly, as he kissed her forehead one last time.

He then turned to face her, his form full of every colour of the rainbow shimmering, as if pleading with her. She had no clue what he wanted her to do exactly, but her body seemed to. Her free hand rose to meet the other as she gently probed his aura, before latching onto it with a firmness she didn't know she possessed and jarred her two hands apart with a sudden swiftness. A small grateful smile crossed the colourful spirit's lips before he dissolved into pyreflies, some drifting up into the night air but one straying from its course and travelling to Dagger's chest area.

Everyone, including the young mage stared in wonder as the single shred of Zidane's soul sank into the left side of her chest and connected to her heart. A peaceful expression fell over Dagger's face as the corners of her lips lifted and she placed a small hand over her heart.

Yuna's watched the girl in awe, before glancing down to her hands, wondering how in the name of Yevon she did that. Isaaru had never taught her anything like that, no summoner had ever done anything that ever strayed from the traditional sending when it came to dealing with the souls of the dead, so how did she do it? What exactly did she do?

She pushed the thoughts aside for later as her bi-coloured eyes wandered towards the other dumbstruck tributes. She knew they would soon recover from their shock and renew their raid and Dagger would be the first to fall, she was surrounded. Even if she did move in time to avoid Gabranth's twin swords Garland would surely take her out with his chain and if by some stroke of luck that failed, Seifer was there to finish the job with a bullet.

But she had to try.

Gripping her guns tightly as she felt sweat gather in the palms of her hands from anticipation. She had to get this accurate and precise on her first try or else Dagger would be joining her lover on the farplane. She waited, taking deep calming breaths as she tried to get her heart beat to slow down. She had to be patient, keeping on the balls of her feet but not jumping in too early and watched as Dagger slowly raised her eyes to the looming figures before her and fear shone in them once more. Gabranth's shoulders tensed, Garland's chain appeared from the hilt, Seifer slipped a bullet into his gun and then…

"Dagger! Run!"

The young girl's head snapped in Yuna's direction, her jaw hanging and eyes wide as the summoner charged at the three men, two guns in hand. Dagger simply watched in shock as she simultaneously unloaded her clips at Garland and Gabranth's hilts, successfully striking their hands and causing them to release their swords. With both clips emptied, the summoner tucked both guns into her back pocket and dove to the ground, rolling to soften her fall as Seifer's bullet sailed above her head, hitting the tree behind and scarring the wood.

Dagger still made no move to run, simply watching the seemingly insane girl before her as she used the momentum of her roll to spring to her feet, yet keeping her legs bent so that she was in a half-crouching position. She brought her a tight fist up as she stood to her full height, ready to throw him a punch. The older teen smirked, knowing what she was about to do and readied his gunblade to slice off her arm.

The shell-shocked girl watched fearfully, unable to open her mouth to scream at Yuna to stop, to warn her of the danger. She wanted to reach out and grab her and make her stop but she'd never be able to reach her in time. It was inevitable, she knew that when she saw Seifer's smirk grow wider as Yuna's fist continued on.

Suddenly Yuna opened her fist up, splaying her fingers wide and jerking her arm back in a swift movement as sand and dirt caught Seifer in the eyes, temporarily blinding him. He cried in outrage and dropped the gunblade, wiping at his eyes with his hands.

She snapped her head back to Dagger so quickly that she was sure her neck cracked at the sudden movement. Her bi-coloured eyes were wide and panicked as she looked disbelievingly at her fellow white mage. Why hadn't the young girl ran away like she told her to?

"_Dagger move!"_ she yelled frantically, giving the girl a push to get her going. The young white mage stumbled slightly but then seemed to snap back to reality, looking towards the summoner once with regretful dark eyes before running off into the trees and disappearing from sight.

She let out a sigh of relief, her shoulders sagging and rising once more as she took another deep breath. At least Dagger was safe… for now anyway, but she was a smart girl, she could take care of herself until Yuna found her again. But for now she had one more friend to save.

"Yuna!"

She whirled around at the sound of Tidus' voice, spotting him immediately on the far side of the ruined campsite, fending off the lightning fast dragoon. She didn't know why he had called her, he seemed to be faring well enough alone but she soon had the answer to her unasked question when she felt a metal fist connect with the side of her face.

She cried out in pain as she fell to the ground, clutching her face, already feeling a bruise forming beneath the skin. Tears dared to leak out of the corners of her eyes and she nearly let them take their course, until she saw Garland's smug yellow eyes stare down at her and forced them back.

He pointed his sword at her, the tip mockingly caressing the smooth skin of her neck. All he had to do was apply a bit of pressure, or even let go of the hilt and she'd be gone, her story would be over. A 'protect' spell wouldn't save her, he guns were empty and too far away to reach, there was nothing she could do.

It was hopeless.

She was helpless.

She forced herself to glare up at him, despite the tears streaming from her eyes. Her defiance only made his smirk grow larger and a harsh cruel laugh escape his lips as he applied the tiniest bit of pressure on the sword, not enough to kill her, but enough to cause her pain and allow a small trail of blood to trickle down her neck.

She purposefully didn't swallow for two reasons; the first one being quite obvious and the second would be one that would make a priestess faint if any of them were watching.

Garland bent down and tucked a sharp finger under her chin as he chuckled once more. "Any last words, priestess?"

A rush of both anger and giddiness ran through her and she revealed her second reason to the world, spitting at him in the face and growling in a very unladylike manner. "I'm not a priestess!"

Garland's yellow eyes became slits as a deep fire of rage burned within them. A long aggressive snarl resounded through his body as he snatched his sword away and grabbed her around the neck lifting her fully off of the ground. His fingers closed around her wind pipe agonisingly, making her claw at his hand trying to escape but to no avail.

The air left her lungs as her vision started to blur. She prayed to Yevon that those pathetic choking noises weren't coming from her but found she didn't care when it fully hit her that she was going to die. Her aeons were panicking in her soul as she was about to give in to the darkness but then she could suddenly breathe.

Gasping down as much oxygen as possible as she fell to her hands and knees, she coughed harshly to clear her throat and looked around dazed and disorientated. She could faintly see Garland trying to put out the fire that was licking at his armour while Gabranth and Seifer seemed to be fighting off shards of ice. Where were they coming from?

Shakily she got to her feet, stumbling at first but allowing her years of training to catch up to her and help her regain her balance. Black dots danced before her eyes, distorting her vision and confusing her even more. Why wouldn't her vision focus?

A hand roughly grabbed her elbow and tugged her harshly making her cry out in pain and try to fight back but her kidnapper was too strong. She could see a faint glow coming from the man's hand but dismissed it, only focusing on getting him to release her.

She increased her struggling but the man then stopped abruptly and pulled her close to him. An involuntary shiver ran down her spine as she felt his lips brush gently against her ear and the smell of metal and leather invaded her nose. "Run," was all she heard in a harsh whisper before she was released and the stranger was gone.

Her vision returned to normal and she immediately looked round for her… rescuer? Was that what she could call him? Was he the powerful black mage who saved her from Garland's grip? Why did he help her and who was he?

She sighed in frustration when her thoughts immediately went to Cloud but she mentally amended that it was because he always wore leather and not because she wanted it to be him – and she didn't want it to be him, why would she?

Her common sense decided to return at that moment as she realised it could've been Noctis either. After all Cloud didn't exactly look like a black mage and Noctis also wielded a huge sword and he had a deep voice and spiky hair. It probably was Noctis in the end, he would be a much nicer rescuer than Cloud, much nicer.

_It's very unbecoming of a summoner to lie to herself,_ Shiva's voice echoed in her mind and knocking her out of her reverie.

Yuna grumbled something about letting spirits share her soul with her in response and purposefully silenced her aeons, not wanting to deal with numerous voices in her current state. She carefully checked herself to make sure she wasn't bleeding anywhere and exhaled in relief when she found no blood however her cheek was still tender from the Garland's brutal hit.

Where was he now anyway? Where was she? She was still in the forest and far from her destroyed campsite, but which direction did she come from?

She felt fear creep into her heart as more and more questions bombarded her mind. Where was Tidus? Where did Dagger go? What happened to their supplies? What about Ashe? Did she travel to the farplane or was she unsent? Was both Tidus and Dagger still alive or were they…?

She didn't finish her mental question as she shook her head fiercely, ridding herself of the thoughts. There was no point in thinking about such things; she'd only make herself paranoid. The best thing to do was to not panic, to remain calm and collected like the summoner she was, and prepare herself for the worst as Paine had told her to do.

Steeling her resolve, she reloaded her guns with new clips from her hip pouch and made sure they weren't damaged before studying her surroundings. It was quite hard to see anything with the trees blocking out the light of the moon, but she could faintly see footprints on the ground and she knew she hadn't taken any sharp turns while running with Clo – Noctis, so it should be a straight journey back to camp. She'd probably be able to find Tidus there and some supplies.

As she was about to jog back in the direction from which she came, her foot brushed against something soft. She instinctively jumped back drawing her pistols but nothing moved before her. It was then she realised she'd hit a small bag of… supplies? Had her rescuer taken supplies with him too? Did he really want her to live so badly?

She shook her head once more and hefted the bag on her shoulder before following the barely visual footprints backwards at a brisk pace. She held her guns tightly in her hands, her slim index fingers on the triggers, ready to fire.

It amazed her how much she changed over the course of a few weeks. Before all this, she'd never even dream of using a gun, much less pointing it at someone and pulling the trigger. She didn't even know if she could actually kill someone yet, she hadn't killed anyone so far but hadn't she just open fired on two other tributes ten minutes ago? Granted she had only disarmed them but what if she had have hit a primary artery? Would she be able to live with herself knowing that she had ended a life that wasn't hers to end?

_You're going to have to, if you want to survive through this and keep your promise,_ Ixion's rough voice echoed through her mind as she ran.

_But I –_ she argued back mentally however Bahamut cut her off in his soft gentle voice.

_You must Yuna, it is your duty as a summoner to bring joy to your people,_ he said gently.

_By bringing sorrow to others?_ She questioned back rather harshly. She cut them all off before they could reply. At this point she was tired of trying to live up to other people's expectations and follow orders and instructions. It had never really bothered her before but now it was starting to grind on her nerves. Why did she have to win? Why did she have to bring joy to everyone but herself? Why did she have to make such heavy sacrifices in her life, in her journey, in her story?

_Because I chose to travel this road a long time ago,_ she thought ruefully and immediately felt guilty. She should be honoured that people depended on her for hope, that she was needed so strongly by others, that people looked to her for light when trapped in darkness. But every so often she couldn't help the doubt that crept into her mind, like a shadow in the night, and it brought her that one nagging question every time.

Where would she find light when in darkness?

A scream echoed through the night, catching Yuna's attention and making her stop dead in her tracks. The trees seemed to shiver by the mere despair in the tone of the scream and though Yuna wasn't one hundred per cent sure of its owner, she still felt dread creep into her heart. She raced off in the direction of the scream's origin and didn't stop until she reached a small clearing in the trees.

Her blood ran cold at the sight before her and though her arms felt numb, she still managed to raise her pistols in a defensive stance. Garland held Dagger, pressed close against him with his huge sword positioned at the soft skin of her neck. Dagger's eyes were bloodshot and the unmistakable marks of tears littered her cheeks as her feet dangled in mid-air. Even from a good ten feet away, Dagger's whimpers and uneven puffs of breath pierced her ear drums and made her stomach clench in fear.

"Yuna…" the young girl's snivel was cut off when Garland applied pressure to her neck and hissed at her to be quiet. He then turned his beady yellow eyes to Yuna, who stood rigid, looking fearfully between Garland and the small girl.

"I have a score to settle with you priestess," Garland's rough voice travelled across the clearing as he grinned maliciously.

Yuna swallowed hard, and nodded her head slowly, choosing her words cautiously. "Yes, you do…" she replied trying to keep her voice level. "With me, not with her."

"I see you care for this girl," he responded, looking down at Dagger as a cat would look at a trapped mouse. "Tell me, priestess, why do you value this girl's life so much when you know she must die? All other tributes must be eliminated in order for you to win or do you not wish to live?" The flash of arrogance that crossed his eyes scared Yuna as the horrible feeling of helplessness invaded her soul. "Would you really sacrifice yourself for a simple child who stands no chance in these games?"

Yuna didn't answer, simply glaring at the monster before her with cold anger flashing in her bi-coloured eyes. She tried not to look at Dagger's pleading expression, knowing it would only make her feel more hopeless than before.

Garland's arrogance seemed to increase as her silence stretched on. "No?" he questioned with mock surprise. "You wish for her life to end here? You wish for her to feel the sweet release of death?"

"Death is not a release!" she bit back with tears stinging her eyes as her guns shook in her trembling hands. "Nor is it for you to deliver!"

"Then what is it, priestess?" Garland asked in a cool tone. "Surely you of all people can answer such a question. I can see it in your eyes; you have dealt with death many times, have you not?" Yuna's eyes widened at his accurate statement but he continued on. "Do you fear death, priestess? Do you fear the end of life?"

"Everyone fears death-"

"Though you do not fear death, because you are so familiar to it," Garland's deep rough voice cut off her own feminine one. "You think I do not know of your past of sorrow, of your blood line's spiral of death? The Capitol has a vast amount of information on you. I would pity you if I did not loathe you so much. The last sole survivor of the Moonlight family…"

"Stop it…" she whispered feebly.

"Each family member brutally killed in this very arena," Garland carried on. "Well except for your sister, of course. She decided to commit to the coward's route."

"Lenne was never a coward."

"She was weak."

"She was always so strong."

"She feared her fate!"

"No…" Yuna shook her slowly and looked up to Garland with determined bi-coloured eyes. She knew what the demonic creature before her was trying to do and she would not let him get to her, not now with Dagger's life on the line. "She never feared her fate because she made her own path, she chose how her story went. She was able to face death without fear."

"She brought it upon herself," Garland growled viciously.

"She did it for love!" Yuna argued back.

"And tell me, foolish priestess," Garland spoke through clenched teeth. "Would you die for love?"

Her answer lodged in her throat as her mouth felt as though it was filled with the sands of the Bikanel Desert. Paine's warning flashed in her mind as she thought back to the half-demon's story. Paine hadn't died for love, she'd gotten over it and fought to live although the warrior had found out that her love had been unrequited. She remembered the horrible pain and aching throb she had felt in her heart when she had found Lenne's body. Could she put her family through that pain again? Was that not selfish?

But what about the person she loved? Would she die for them? She supposed she would if she really loved them but how could she really know…?

"Yes," she answered after a long period of tense silence. "I would gladly give up my life for love, without hesitation."

"So you truly do not fear death then," Garland looked at her with mild curiosity before his expression turned to cold stone once more. "Then what do you live for? Why fight when you do not fear death, why not welcome it as your twin did?"

"Everyone fears death, as do I, just not my own," she replied with determination etched into the delicate features of her face as she steadied her pistols in front of her.

"I see…" Garland said in his gruff voice before his eyes glinted with evil malice. "You are strange, priestess and amusing in a way but I did not lure you here for mere entertainment." His sword pressed against Dagger's unprotected throat, drawing blood as the girl let out a sob of pure terror. Her eyes sent a silent message though Yuna could not decipher it. "I lured you here for vengeance!"

"Wait!" Yuna begged desperately as she took a shaky step towards her helpless friend and opposing tribute, she slowly dropped her guns to the ground and raised her hands in the air. "Please don't hurt her!" She took another step towards Garland who simply watched her begging with cruelty shining in his eyes. "Your revenge has nothing to do with her, it's just me!"

"That's where your wrong priestess," he replied with a low chuckle that held no warmth. "Killing you will not bring me revenge for the humility you've caused me, however this girl…" he left the threat hanging in the air, baring his large sharp teeth as he smirked wickedly.

"Yuna…" Dagger managed to choke out, grabbing the summoner's attention. Yuna tried to open her mouth to reassure the girl but the words faded from her lips as soon as she saw the young white mage give her a tired sad smile. She'd seen that smile before… "I'm willing… to die… for love… too," Dagger said with effort between cautious breaths.

_Yuna you must stop her!_ Shiva's voice echoed despairingly through her mind but Yuna's feet were glued to the spot as fresh tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes. She wanted to shake her head and pretend that the signs were all wrong, that Dagger wasn't about to do what Yuna thought she'd do.

But as a lone tear streaked down Dagger's cheek while the young girl closed her eyes for the last time, Yuna knew her instincts were correct but she also knew she could act upon them. It was too late.

Rivers of crimson blood flowed down Dagger's neck as the brave little girl Yuna had befriended thrust her neck forward into the sharp edge of Garland's sword with a sickening sound. Garland leapt back in surprise dropping in the girl's bloody body on the hard forest floor. Deep red coated the nature of the hard earth as Dagger's life escaped from the gaping wound in her neck, no amount of white magic would enable the poor girl to recover from such an injury.

"Dagger…" she breathed softly, tears streaming down her cheeks like waterfalls of sorrow.

The world seemed to fade around Yuna as Dagger's spirit left her body in a colourful rainbow of pyreflies. They formed together in such a way that it almost looked like Dagger's mortal form. The passing spirit gave Yuna a small wave of her transparent hand before dispersing into the night like the fireworks from the Capitol.

A peaceful calm surrounded the air around them as the white mage finally got the rest she deserved however that calm was easily broken when Yuna felt the solid chain connect with her the side of her head. She let out a scream of agony as she cursed her instincts for becoming numb and useless.

The last thing she saw as her sore head hit the ground was a single pyrefly and pure white feather.


End file.
